The Cipher Fighters Return
by Skoolgrl09
Summary: After Mabel's death, Dipper travels back to Piedmont early to grieve with his parents. The boy is completely lost without her. Because of it, he has given up on the supernatural, until somebody follows him home and makes an offer he can't refuse. This is the sequel to The Cipher Fighters. I bumped up the rating to T for dark themes, alcohol usage, drug usage, and smoking.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Deep into the dark basement of the Mystery Shack sat Stanford Pines. He was flipping through the pages of his journal, pausing to look at the rift.

" How did you get in here without it," he whispered outloud then squinted his eyes.

The old man jumped and turned around to the sound of a grunt. It was Stan, who was looking down at him with his arms crossed, eyebrow raised.

" Aren't you going to say good-bye to your great-nephew," he questioned. " Now that the bus station is back up and running, he'll be heading back home today."

" Today," Ford asked, widening his eyes. " I thought he wasn't supposed to leave until the day after his birthday."

" He was going to, but he really just wants to go home," Stan uttered, shrugging. " His parents also want to spend some time with him, before he goes back to school. Make sure he's going to be okay."

" I'm going to miss him," Ford sighed as he stood up. " He would have made a great apprentice."

" No kidding," Stan chuckled then punched his twin on the shoulder. " He's a mini version of you, only sweatier and dresses like a normal person."

" You take that back," Ford snapped, pointing a finger. " At least I don't walk around in a wife-beater and boxers all day."

" I wear a tux when out and about," Stan retorted, rolling his eyes. " That is classy. Never out of style"

" Stanley, you wear a fez with it," Ford scoffed, looking him dead in the eye. " Who does that? Oh, you…I better get up there."

Ford began heading upstairs. Stan followed, snickering about Ford wearing sweater-vests. Soon, the older twins reached the living room. Dipper had his luggage placed in front of the stairs leading up to the attic. The boy was sitting in the chair, watching TV. Ford stood in front of him then kneeled down, holding his arms out. Dipper lunged forward and wrapped his arms around his neck, squeezing tightly. Ford did the same to his torso.

" Goodbye, Great Uncle Ford," Dipper uttered. " I'll miss you."

" I'll miss you, too, Dipper," Ford replied then glanced over at Stan. " Well, aren't you going to join us?"

" I already told him goodbye this morning," Stan stated.

" He did it the moment I woke up," Dipper peeped as the two parted. " Claimed he was checking for property damage."

" Now to say goodbye to your friends," Stan ushered.

Eventually, all goodbyes were exchanged with everybody, except for one. It was Pacifica, who was locked up in her room, after her parents found out she left the mansion and put her life in danger to save a bunch of peasants. They also grounded her for turning them into bell-like monsters. They waited until she got back from helping her grieving friend before punishing her. Stan pulled up to the gate and pushed a button on a nearby post.

" Welcome to Northwest Manor," a stuffy voice spoke. " What is your name and whom are you here to speak with?"

" Stan, Ford, and Dipper Pines," Stan retorted. " We are here to speak with Pacifica Northwest. It's important."

" I am terribly sorry, Sir," the voice retorted. " Miss Northwest is grounded and can't see or speak to anybody right now."

" Look," Stan started. " My nephew, Dipper, is friends with her. He is leaving Gravity Falls for home today and wants to tell her goodbye."

" Move over, Winston," a female voice huffed then began shouting. " What do you mean you're leaving? Dipper, the summer's not even over, yet. What the heck."

" Pacifica, I just want to go home and be with my parents," Dipper retorted. " I need them and they need me. Please, try to understand."

" Winston, open the gates and let them in," Pacifica commanded.

" But, Miss Northwest," Winston started.

" Do it," Pacifica shouted.

" Very well, Ma'am," Winston retorted.

The gates opened and Stan pulled through, stopping in front of the steps to the main entrance. Pacifica ran outside and toward the back passenger's door. Dipper opened the door and closed it behind him.

" What do you mean you need to go home and be with your parents," Pacifica questioned, glaring. " There is only a few weeks left of summer. Can't you hold out?"

" I'm sorry, Pacifica," Dipper sighed, frowning at the ground . " I can't. Mabel is gone, I really want my parents, and I really want to go back home."

" Dipper," Pacifica started.

" Do you have any siblings," Dipper asked, looking back up.

"I," She went to snap at him then stopped, looking away. " No. No, I don't."

" Have you ever lost somebody close to you, while away on a trip," Dipper questioned.

" Yes, I have," Pacifica uttered then made eye contact with him. " I just wanted to go home after that. Oh…"

She wrapped her arms around Dipper, squeezing tight enough to knock the air out of his lungs. Dipper gasped then Pacifica loosened her grip. He breathed then wrapped his arms around her.

" Well, I guess this is goodbye," Pacifica sniffled. "Promise you'll visit next year."

" I can't make any promises" Dipper muttered. " After losing my sister, I just don't know now. I can promise to keep in touch with you, though."

" And I'll come visit you using my private jet when you are unable to come here," Pacifica replied.

The two chuckled then pulled apart. Pacifica pecked Dipper on the lips then blushed, turning around. Dipper stood in shock, eyes wide. She cleared her throat.

" You, uh, you better take care then," Pacifica murmured, asked to pay him to pretend the kiss never happened, and began walking back toward the mansion.

Dipper went back into the car. Stan began driving to the bus stop. The ride there was silent. There was no talking and the radio was turned off. Ford shifted glances between the window, Stan, and Dipper. Dipper was staring out the window, resting his cheek against it. Stan was glancing back at Dipper, all the while keeping an eye on the road. Soon, the car came to a stop. Stan got out and opened the trunk of the car. Dipper got out of the car and grabbed his luggage as Stan handed it to him. A few minutes later, the bus arrived. Dipper approached it then stopped to turn around. His vision swept toward his uncles. He gave a small smile and a nod. The uncles did the same thing back. Dipper hopped into the bus. Several hours later, he was back in Piedmont.

" Dipper, you're home," his mother exclaimed as she ran over to Dipper, bear hugging him and crying. " Thank goodness. How's my baby boy doing? Do you have a fever? Any broken bones? Any scratches?"

Mrs. Pines checked him over thoroughly. The boy chuckled, smirking.

" I'm doing fine, Mom," Dipper retorted. " I'm just glad to be home."

" Son, you made it," his dad chimed as he put him in a headlock and rubbed his fist on his hat, hard. " Nice hat. What happened to your other one?"

" I lost it," Dipper replied. " Grunkle Stan gave me a new one to replace it."

" Come on," his mother beamed. " Let's go inside."

The family went inside the house. A few weeks later, it was his and Mabel's birthday. Dipper did not celebrate. He did not even open his presents. His mother, however, forced him to go with her to back-to-school shopping.

" Here's a nice outfit for you, Dipper," his mother chirped as she held up a pair of denim overalls with a striped sweater underneath it. " And it's in just your size."

" Mom, I'm thirteen," Dipper scoffed, gesturing toward himself. " Don't you think I'm a little too old for that? Can I pick out my own outfit, just this once?"

" Dipper, the last time I let you choose, you chose that shirt, vest, and shorts," his mom retorted, scanning his current attire. " Not to mention that green hat."

" Hey, look at that," Dipper tweeted as he stared at a shirt with tears where the sleeves used to be and baggy cargo pants.

" Oh, no," the mom said, firmly. " You are not wearing that to school."

" But, Mom, all the other guys at school wear them," Dipper argued.

" I don't care," his mom retorted, shaking her head. " No teenaged son of mine is going to be walking around school, looking like some gang banger."

" Fine," Dipper uttered. " I'll just opt for last year's outfit."

" That's my boy," the mom squeaked as Dipper gathered some clothes and put them into the cart. " Now for your sister's…"

She slapped her hand over her mouth and began sobbing. Dipper's jaw dropped and he hugged her. She glanced down and hugged him back, grinning.

" We should head home, now," she uttered then headed for the checkout lane, sniffling.

Soon, they were home. The mother went into her sewing room, while Dipper walked into the living room, carrying the shopping bags. His dad was asleep on the couch. The tv was left on. Dipper approached the tv and turned it off. His dad woke up.

" Huh," he mumbled. " Dipper?"

" I think you should check on Mom," Dipper started. " She's in the sewing room."

" What's wrong," his dad asked, sitting up and widening his eyes. " Is she hurt?"

" While we were school shopping, she began crying about...Mabel," Dipper replied.

" You go put away your school stuff," his dad uttered, placing a hand on his shoulder. " I'll go speak to your mother. Okay, Sport?"

" Okay," Dipper shrugged and went upstairs to his room.

The father entered the sewing room. His wife was sitting in a chair, crocheting. She was still bawling. He put his arm around her shoulders. She looked up, wiping the tears from her eyes.

" Honey, I didn't hear you come in," she uttered.

" I came here to check on you," he retorted. " Dipper's worried about you. And when our son worries about you then I worry about you."

" I miss our little girl," she replied. " I can't believe she's gone and we didn't even get to go to her funeral. She shouldn't have had a funeral before us. This isn't fair."

" I know," he responded, rubbing her on the back. " I miss her, too."

" And what did Uncle Stan say about how she died," she asked. " She jumped off a cliff?"

" Something like that," he shrugged. " Makes me wonder about Dipper. That's why we brought him home early. To make sure he does nothing stupid, too."

" True," she sniffled.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Monday came around. Dipper opened his eyes. It was the first day of school. He crawled out of bed, got dressed, grabbed his backpack and headed downstairs for breakfast. A plate of eggs, bacon, and toast was already sitting on the dining room table for him. He sat down, ate then dashed out the door to catch the bus. On the way there, Dipper pulled out one of his textbooks and began reading it. A group of kids glanced over at him and snickered. Dipper looked over at them then glued his eyes back to the page he was on, until a shadow casted over it. He looked up to see a large girl towering over him.

" Do you mind," Dipper uttered. "You're in my light."

" Whatcha readin' there, Nerd," she asked in a snarky voice.

" An AP science book," Dipper scoffed. " Or I was until you interrupted me."

" Well, I have a science question for ya," she started, putting her hands on her hips. " What is gravity?"

" Gravity is mass times the acceleration of gravity," Dipper answered. " Not to be confused with Force, which is just mass times acceleration."

" You mean like this," she slapped the book out of his hands and onto the floor.

" Hey," Dipper hollered then went to pick it up.

The girl grabbed him by his underwear, giving him a wedgie. Dipper yelped. Next, she took his hat then yanked it over his eyes, shoving him down into his seat. She walked away, chuckling. Dipper readjusted his clothes and grabbed his book. He continued reading it until the bus arrived at the school. Once it arrived, Dipper rushed to his first class, which was Civics.

" Welcome back, Students," the teacher announced, pacing in front of the board. " I am Ms. Schnider. I will be your 8th Grade Civics teacher. Please open your text books to Chapter 1. We have a lot to discuss, so remember to take lots of notes. Some of the material you will not find in the text book. Please pay close attention. There will be pop quizzes, exams, and homework relating to the book and lectures. Exams will account for 50 percent of your grade, quizzes will count for 10 percent of your grade, homework will count for 25 percent of your grade, attendance will also count for 5 percent of your grade, and in-class work will count for 10 percent of your grade…Let's begin."

After Civics was over, the students headed to their next class and continued from there until lunchtime. The line for hot lunch was long. Dipper got his tray and sat down at a table with a group of peers. They glanced at him, picked up their trays, and walked away to another table. Dipper sighed then frowned, picking at his food. He kept picking at it until somebody sat next to him.

" Ugh, this mystery meat never gets any better," the student complained then looked over at Dipper, who was now staring at his tray. " Hey, Dipper. Where's your sister? Separate classes?"

" I don't want to talk about it, Leonard," Dipper replied, softly.

" Ah," Leonard retorted then began eating, talking with his mouth full. " So, um, what'd you do over the summer? I went to science camp."

" Visited family up in Oregon," Dipper responded then began eating.

" Let me guess," Leonard started, swallowing. " Your sister's staying up there and you're stuck down here. Am I right?"

" Sorta," Dipper mumbled then finished eating. " Later, Leonard."

Dipper stood up and left the cafeteria, dropping something on the ground. Leonard raised an eyebrow and picked it up. Dipper walked into a bathroom then stormed into a nearby stall, crying.

" So, that hotty from math class totally, like, looked at me," a female voice echoed. " No, I'm so not kidding. Why do you always do this to me, Kimberly?"

" Oh, no," Dipper gasped then whispered. " I'm in the ladies' room."

" Whatever," the girl spat. " I'll, like, talk to you later."

She hung up her phone and put it away. The girl barged out of the bathroom. Dipper opened the stall door and ran out of the bathroom, butting heads with Leonard. They both fell onto the floor, groaning.

" Hey, watch where you're going," Dipper snapped then looked up, eyes widening.

"You dropped this," Leonard uttered, showing him a letter from friends and family back in Gravity Falls, which stated how sorry they were for the loss and hoped things would get better.

" Oh, thanks," Dipper muttered, taking the letter and stuffing it in his vest pocket.

The bell rang. Everybody went to their final classes then began heading home. Dipper was working on his homework when the bully from earlier towered above him. He glanced up. She glared at him then softened her expression.

" I heard about the goofy, girly version of you," the bully uttered. " I'm sorry."

" You're not going to beat me up," Dipper raised an eyebrow.

" No, you've been through enough pain, for now," the girl uttered, raising her hand, waving it. " I will postpone until next year to give you time to grieve for your sister and be there for your family."

" Okay," Dipper stuttered then muttered how weird that was to himself as she walked away.

The bus stopped at the Pines' residence. Dipper got off and stopped by the front door. He heard yelling behind it.

" How is this my fault," the mother screamed. " There was nothing we could have done to prevent this."

" We could have prevented it by not sending the kids up there with my uncle, alone," the father yelled. " He's gone senile. I told you that, but you insisted that over summer camp."

The parents continued arguing from there. Dipper sighed then walked inside once it was quiet. His father stormed into the bedroom, slamming the door behind him and his mother went crying into her sewing room. Dipper went upstairs to work on his homework until he fell asleep. The next day, he woke up, got ready for school, and left the house, skipping breakfast.

Meanwhile, back in Gravity Falls, Ford was still trying to figure out how Bill got into their dimension without the rift. Suddenly, his eyes widened.

" No, it can't be," Ford muttered then shouted. " Stanley, get down here."

" What is it," Stan entered the basement.

" I figured out how Bill got into our world," Ford stood up then lifted the rift up to Stan's eye level. " There is a crack in the rift. That's how he got in here. He literally slipped through the cracks. I'm going to have to go on a special mission to seal them up, so nothing more from the nightmare realm gets in."

" And where exactly are you going," Stan asked as Ford walked passed him, raising an eyebrow.

" Nowhere you need to know," Ford uttered as he began packing a bag, along with the pockets of his trench coat. " Besides, you wouldn't be interested. It's boring."

" Just tell me where, in case I have to go looking for you," Stan persisted, causing Ford to stop and turn around.

" Alien spacecraft," Ford scoffed, looking at the ceiling. " Nothing to look at."

Ford finished packing everything he needed for his mission and left the shack. Stan glowered then went back to the gift shop to open it for the day. Soos had to operate the cash register, since Wendy was back in school. Little did they know, somebody was watching them.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

" Let's talk business, Kids," Amelia began as she placed her hands on her desk, leaning over it. " My resources have found the entrance to the dimension in question. I need you to go into that dimension with me and destroy the remaining wheel members from the inside out. Kill if you must."

"Yes, Mother," the pink and blue triangles retorted from their chairs.

" Good," Amelia uttered, smirking. " Now, let's go."

Back at the middle school, Dipper was taking a pop quiz for a reading class. He heard somebody call his name and looked up. His peers had their eyes glued to their quizzes and the teacher was sitting at his desk, reading A Tale of Two Cities. Dipper shrugged then looked back down at his paper. He heard somebody call his name once more and looked around, again. The teacher glanced up at him.

" Please, keep your eyes on your own paper," he uttered.

Dipper looked back down, but the voice kept calling his name. The boy finished the quiz and turned it in. An hour later, it was lunch time. Dipper sat down at the table with Leonard, ate lunch, and went to the bathroom to mourn in private until it was time for the next class. He repeated this every day for several weeks. His parents arguing got more frequent, causing more grief in the Pines' home.

" You know what," the mother spat, balling her hands into fists. " You know what? I'm going to my mother's and I'm taking our son with me."

" Dipper is staying here," the father yelled, pointing at the living room floor. " No way am I letting him stay in that trailer. He'd have no privacy. Our son is an adolescent now and will need me to help guide him to manhood."

The boy was in his room, tossing and turning as his parents screamed at each other. They did this every day, from early in the morning until late in the evening, but none of them would act on their words. He knew they did not mean them. They were still grieving, like he was. The shouting got louder and Dipper covered his ears with his pillow. Dipper pulled out his phone and began texting his friends from Gravity Falls. None of them texted back, since it was too late at night. Soon, the house fell silent and Dipper managed to fall asleep. He started dreaming about being in the school library. There, he saw a purple, floating triangle dressed as a librarian. She looked over at him.

" Well, well, well," Amelia announced as she approached Dipper. " If it isn't Dipper Pines. I'm Amelia Cipher. I can't help but see your situation with your family."

" Yeah, what's it to ya," Dipper raised an eyebrow then widened his eyes. " Wait. Cipher? You wouldn't happen to be related to Bill Cipher, would you?"

"I'm his widow," Amelia retorted as she picked a book off of the shelf and flipped through the pages. " I always knew he was a cold hearted nutcase, but I still loved him."

" I'm sorry," Dipper sounded like he was asking a question, glanced down at his feet then looked back up at Amelia, pointing a finger at her. " Hold on. You're still a Cipher, ergo, I can't trust you. Why am I even talking to you?"

" Listen, Kid," Amelia started, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. " Just like you, I lost somebody near and dear to me and it still hurts like a wooden stake being stabbed into a vampire's heart. So are those words you just said. Not all the Ciphers are bad, you know. Look. I can help you. I can help bring your sister back for you. Repay you for stopping my awful husband and his gang."

Dipper glared at her then pulled out a picture of him and Mabel. He glanced back up at the purple dream demon. She had tears in her eye, upset he did not trust her.

" I still don't know," Dipper uttered, putting the picture away. " After all, you married Bill. They say that misery loves company, which seems to be your case. Why should I expect you to be any different?"

He pulled away from her then turned away, folding his arms. Amelia tapped her chin, seething.

" You want a good reason," Amelia snarled, causing the boy to turn back to her. " Fine. I'll give you a good reason."

She transformed, revealing scars all over her body. Dipper gasped, widening his eyes.

" Bill did this to me from the day we first got together," Amelia stated, hiding her scars. " He would've eventually killed me and my children, if it weren't for you and your group. So, do you want your sister or not?"

" No deal," Dipper retorted, shaking his head. " I still don't trust you. As much as I want my sister back, I just can't do it. I made that mistake of wanting something so bad that I made a deal with your husband. He possessed me and nearly killed me."

" Suit yourself, but I'll be back," she disappeared, causing Dipper to wake up.

" Huh," Dipper uttered then glanced around his room.

He climbed out of his bed then went on with his usual morning routine. The house stayed quiet the entire time, much to his relief. He opened the front door and headed off to school. Soon, it was lunch time, again. Dipper and Leonard were talking, while eating what looked like green slop.

" Hey, why don't you come live with me," Leonard offered, grinning. " My parents have a spare bedroom."

" That's really kind of you, but I would rather just be there for my parents," Dipper replied.

" Dipper, you come home to arguing parents every day, you're having nightmares, and those bags under your eyes are getting bigger," Leonard stated, gesturing to his friend's face at that last part. " I personally think you need to get out of that house for a while."

" Nah," Dipper rejected. " I'd rather be in my own bed and in my own room, where nobody can see or hear me."

" Okay," Leonard chirped.

Dipper finished eating then went into the bathroom until his next class. Back up in Oregon, Wendy was feeling tired and hopeless for no reason. She walked into a locker door a couple of times, was late to almost every class, and slept through half the day. A few times, she cried over dropping her pencil on the floor. The school sent her home for the rest of the day, after complaints from multiple teachers. Her father came and picked her up in his work truck. Wendy curled her knees into her chest, wrapping her arms around her legs.

" Wendy, this isn't like you," Manly Dan started as he pulled out of the high school's parking lot and into traffic " Want to tell me what's wrong?"

" That's just it, Dad," Wendy sobbed from the passenger seat, looking down at her muck covered boots. " I don't know what's wrong with me."

" Is it your mother," Manly Dad asked and Wendy shook her head. " Is it a boy?"

" No," Wendy retorted, voice cracking.

" Friends," Manly Dad shrugged, Wendy shook her head again, and he grinned. " I think it's just mother nature getting the best of you."

" Dad," Wendy shouted as she gawked at him, blushing. " It's not that. This has been slowly happening to me for the past few weeks."

" I think your mother went through something similar," Manly Dan uttered, frowning. " She went through it after the birth of your youngest brother, though. That's when things started going downhill."

" Dad, can we not talk about this, please," Wendy sniffled as she looked back down at her boots.

" Alright," Manly Dan retorted and continued driving until they made it home.

Meanwhile, at Gravity Falls Middle School, it was lunch time for the 8th graders. Pacifica and her fake friends were standing in line, waiting. The fake redhead was texting on her phone, the African girl was reading a fashion magazine, and Pacifica was talking.

" Ugh, middle school is so lame," Pacifica complained. " Algebra? When am I going to use that? When am I going to use any of this stuff they teach us? Also, why do all the teachers here give so much dang homework? And what's the deal with the TAPP program? I already know how to tap. I know how to tap dance. Why do we even have that here?"

" Yeah, we should be learning about things that matter, like fashion," the fake redhead retorted as she put her phone away. " And anything that has to do with beauty salons and spas. Also, how to get a rich guy to like you."

" That, and which fad diets will squeak you into a size 2," the African girl uttered as she looked up from her magazine. " Speaking of: Pacifica, did you gain some weight over the summer?"

" About two pounds at the most," Pacifica answered then placed a hand on her cheek, slightly turning her head. " Why? Is it that noticeable? I can still fit into a size 2, so it shouldn't be."

" What have you been eating at those peasants' houses," the redhead asked, putting her hands on her hips.

" Stuff that actually taste good," Pacifica uttered, also putting her hands on her hips. " And those peasants are my friends."

" Whatever," the African girl scoffed, rolled her eyes, and pointed at Pacifica's waist. " If you don't watch your figure, you'll eventually end up as big as Grenda."

The two girls snickered. Pacifica blushed and frowned. She turned that expression into a glare, clenching her teeth and balling her hands into fists.

" I'll have you know that Grenda is muscular," Pacifica shouted, causing fellow students to stare at them. " She can lift boulders and break them with her skull. Also, she is a lot nicer to me than you two will ever be. So, is Candy."

" Geez, no need to get all defensive," the redhead stated. " Listen. If you keep going this route, you'll be just as unpopular as they are. Your reputation will be ruined, forever. So, stop eating like a pig, ditch the poor people, and stop acting so uncool."

" Okay," Pacifica uttered. " I'm going to stop eating rich people food, ditch you poor people, and stop acting as uncool as you. Later."

Pacifica walked off and into a nearby bathroom. She grabbed her stomach, sighing. The blonde was debating on just eating a salad today.

"I'm worried about Wendy," Tambry uttered as she and Robbie walked home from after-school detention. " This isn't like her. She hasn't answered her phone all day."

" I wouldn't worry about it," Robbie said. " She obviously wants to be left alone. Did you see her face? The last time I saw that face, she dumped me. She'll be fine."

" Robbie, she has been like this for a while," Tambry stated as she looked into his eyes, signs of worry on her face. " I think something's up. We should check on her."

" Alright," Robbie gave in then smiled as he looked into her eyes. " For you, Babe. Now, let's go check on our friend."

The two headed over to Wendy's place. When they got there, Manly Dan turned them away. Wendy did not want to speak to or see anybody. Robbie dropped Tambry off at her home and started heading toward his home. Suddenly, somebody called his name. He stopped in his tracks and turned around, asking who was there. The voice called his name, again. It sounded so familiar to him. He followed it.

Back in California, things just kept getting worse for the Pines. Mrs. Pines hopped into her car and drove off to her mother's place, while Mr. Pines sat in the living room, watching TV. Dipper arrived home from school and approached his father.

" Hey, Dad," Dipper greeted then looked around the house, raising an eyebrow. " Where's Mom?"

" She's staying at her mother's for a little while," the dad retorted as he looked at his son.

" What," Dipper yelped, widening his eyes. " You're not getting divorced, are you?"

" Heavens no," the dad chuckled then quieted down. " We decided we needed time to cool down. Losing your sister was the hardest thing we have ever gone through and we are having a hard time dealing with it."

" I noticed," Dipper uttered then sat down next to him. " It's been almost two months and I'm still having a hard time, myself, especially with Halloween around the corner."

" Yeah, Leonard told me all about that," his dad stated, patting the boy on the back. " He says you cry in the bathroom at lunch every day. Look. It's a Friday night. Why don't we have a father/son movie night with pizza and ice cream?"

" Sounds great, Dad," Dipper grinned, glancing up at him.

They sat on the couch and ate pizza and ice cream, while watching movies until they fell asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The next day, Shermy Pines came over. He knocked on the door. Dipper answered it then grinned.

" Grandpa," Dipper shouted and hugged him. " It's good to see you."

" Good to see you, too, Dipper," Shermy replied with a smile then scanned the room. " Where's your father at?"

" Hi, Pops," Mr. Pines announced as he stood behind Dipper. " I'm so glad you're here. I need to talk to you."

"Of course, Son," Shermy entered the house and sat at the dining room table with his son, while Dipper went upstairs to study for a test.

" Since Dipper's mother isn't here and I have to go on a business trip next week, I was wondering if you could keep an eye on Dipper," Mr. Pines asked as he poured them both a cup of coffee. " He is thirteen, so he shouldn't be too much trouble. If he is or he needs to talk to one of us, you have our numbers."

" Thirteen," Shermy cackled as he took his cup. " Back in my day, parents left kids home alone for days, at the age of six."

" Pops, times are different now," Mr. Pines uttered, sighing. " We can't do that anymore. So, will you watch him?"

" I would love to," Shermy chimed then took a sip of his coffee. " Anything for my favorite son."

" Pops, I'm your only son," Mr. Pines chuckled then went up to Dipper's room.

Dipper was lying on his bed, reading a book and taking notes, while listening to music with headphones on. The door was left wide open. His dad knocked on the frame and approached him. Dipper looked up and removed his headphones.

" Yeah, Dad," Dipper asked, raising an eyebrow.

" Son, I'm going to be going on a business trip for a few days here, soon," Mr. Pines uttered as he kneeled down next to the bed. " Your grandpa will be here watching you, while I'm gone. If you need to talk to me or your mother, you know how to get a hold of us."

" How could you do this to me," Dipper cried, tearing up as he slammed his fists on the book and sat up. " First, Mom leaves for who knows how long and now you. Can't I just come with you or go to where Mom's at?"

" Dipper, Son, calm down," Mr. Pines placed a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it. " It will only be for three days. I'll be back. I promise. Also, your mother and I thought it would be best if you stayed here. It's a place you're familiar with and you have your privacy."

" But, I want to be with you and Mom," Dipper argued, his voice shaking.

" Dipper, one of these days, your Mom and I aren't going to be here and you're going to have to deal with problems like these on your own," Mr. Pines uttered, shrugging. " Look, you're a teenage boy and we've been there for you for most of your grieving. You'll be fine without us here for a little bit. You're a Pines. Also, like I said, just give your mother and I a call."

" Okay," Dipper sighed, looking down at his lap.

" That's my boy," Mr. Pines patted Dipper on top of the head then walked out of the room.

A few days later, Mr. Pines left for his business trip. Dipper got ready for school and headed out the door. Shermy was coming over later. After he got to school, Dipper went straight to his locker and opened it. He looked around then reached inside, grabbing a pack of cigarettes. The boy put them into his backpack and skipped off to class. Amelia peered from behind a corner.

" Hmm," The purple triangle pondered to herself as she watched the teen. " This is just too easy."

She pressed the bow on her head, calling her children. One of them just got done driving Gideon to insanity to the point where he needed to be put in a straight-jacket. The other just led Fiddleford into a dark cave, causing him to be eaten by a bear.

" Okay, Kids," Amelia began. " How is the mission going?"

" Good, Mother," the two replied in unison.

" Good," Amelia smirked. " Now, who's left? Let's see…Dipper Pines, Stan Pines, Ford Pines, and Soos. Oh, and that blonde chick. See you at dinner, Kids."

She hung up then followed Dipper. Meanwhile, in the alien space craft, Ford was searching for glue for the rift. He was trying not to trip any security alarms along the way. The old man kept searching and searching, until his cell phone started ringing. He picked it up and answered.

" Hello, this is Stanford Pines," Ford replied as he turned over a piece of debris.

" Dude, something is wrong with Stan," Soos yelled into the phone. " He can't get up."

" What," Ford shouted, widening his eyes. " Is he breathing?"

" No," Soos hollered, choking out a sob. " And he is clutching his chest funny."

" Soos, call an ambulance," Ford shouted as he dropped the debris. " I'll be there as soon as I can."

He got off the phone and ran out of the space craft, accidentally activating the security system. The drones dropped down from the ceiling and started chasing after him. Ford looked behind him and gasped. He stopped and pulled out a magnet gun, pointing at it, glaring. The drones scanned him and floated back into the ceiling. Ford breathed a sigh of relief and exited the space craft, heading back toward the shack. When he got there, paramedics had already arrived on the scene and took Stan away. Soos was standing in the doorway, wringing his hat in his hands. Ford ran over to him, asking him questions. Soos looked down at his feet, tears in his eyes and lower lip trembling. Ford's mouth widened and he shook his head. He excused himself to the basement for the rest of the day, while Soos closed up shop and went home. The next day, he called the family and told them the news.

" I thought he was already dead," Shermy uttered, raising an eyebrow.

" No, he faked his death," Ford retorted then explained the story.

" I thought you had an extra digit," Shermy stated just as Dipper walked into the room.

" Is that Great Uncle Ford," Dipper asked and Shermy nodded. " May I speak to him?"

" Dipper would like to speak to you," Shermy said and handed the phone over to Dipper. " Here you go, Sprout."

" Great Uncle Ford, how's it going," Dipper chimed as he headed upstairs. " I haven't heard from you, for, like, ever."

" H-hey, Dipper," Ford tried to fake as cheery of a voice as he could. " I've been really busy lately. Listen, I have some really bad news. You might want to sit down for this."

" What is it," Dipper frowned as he sat down on his bed. " What's wrong?"

" It's Stan," Ford whimpered. " He passed away yesterday from a heart attack…"

" What," Dipper screamed as his body stiffened. " No."

" No need to call the rest of the family," Ford sniffled. " I already told them."

" Great Uncle Ford, I'm so sorry," Dipper started tearing up, too.

" It was bound to happen to one of us sooner or later," Ford stuttered. " I don't understand. Stan's always been so active. He should've lived at least another decade. In other news, how are you holding up? How's school? How are your parents?"

" I really don't want to talk about it right now," Dipper wiped his eyes. " It's a mess. That's all I can say. My grades, however, are as awesome as ever."

He pulled out a cigarette and lit it with a match. Dipper puffed away from the speaker. Ford caught onto the sound, though.

" Dipper, you're not smoking, are you," Ford asked, gripping the phone, tightly. " You know how bad that is for you."

" No," Dipper lied. " Why would I do that? You know me better than that."

" Dipper, I know that sound anywhere," Ford said sternly as he pointed a finger at the phone. " Don't lie to me."

" So I am," Dipper scoffed as he rolled his eyes. " What's it to you?"

" Dipper, I am disappointed in you," Ford stated. " You're too smart for that. Put that cigarette down, now."

" Fine," Dipper groaned then walked into the bathroom, extinguishing the cigarette in the sink with water.

" What happened to you, Boy," Ford questioned. " This isn't you."

" You want to know what happened to me," Dipper uttered then began shouting. " Ever since Mabel died, my parents argue every day, I cry in the bathroom at school during lunch, I only have one friend here, neither of my parents are home right now, all of my best friends are up in Gravity Falls, and now you're calling me to tell me Stan has passed away. Also, for the past week, I have taken up smoking as a way of coping. There. Happy?"

" Aww, Dipper," Ford sighed as he face-palmed. " You have been through too much for your age. But I do know this. If you can handle battling monsters, you can handle all of this. Just gotta have faith."

" That faith died with my sister," Dipper whispered, choking out a sob. " I wish she were still here. Life was so much better."

" I know," Ford mumbled. " But, life isn't fair. It's not kind. Bad things happen to good people all the time. Just going to have to deal with it, learn from it, and move on, leaving any sort of grudges you have behind you…Wish I had learned that sooner. Good things also happen, too. I'm sure within time, something really, really good will happen to this family. This includes friends of the family."

"…," Dipper remained silent, except for blowing his nose into a sheet of toilet paper. " I don't buy that for a minute."

" Dipper, I seem to have lost my specs," Shermy hollered from downstairs. " Can you help me find them, please?"

" Yes, Grandpa," Dipper shouted in response and turned to the phone. " Look, Great Uncle Ford, I have to go. Grandpa kinda needs my help."

" That Shermy always losing his glasses," Ford chuckled. " One time he had them on top of his head and couldn't find them. Well, I'll let you go then. Goodbye. Take care."

" Take care, Great Uncle Ford," Dipper uttered then hung up.

He went downstairs, putting the phone back on the charger. Shermy was crawling on the living room floor, patting the carpet with his hand. Dipper glanced at his back pocket and started laughing. He walked over, pulled the glasses out of his pocket, and put them on Shermy's face.

" Oh, thank you," Shermy replied then looked at Dipper, smiling. " Let's blow this clambake and go for a drive, shall we?"

" Grandpa, that's great, but I have homework to do," Dipper uttered then went back upstairs.

" We'll be having raviolis and prune juice tonight," Shermy shouted as he disappeared from his line of sight.

Once upstairs, Dipper closed the door and sat down on the floor. He pulled out the pack of cigarettes, smoked for a little bit then began working on homework until dinner was ready. He ate the raviolis, but never did drink the prune juice. After that, Dipper headed back up to his room and finished his homework. The next day, Dipper left the house early, before Shermy woke up. He decided to walk to school, while puffing another cigarette. The boy jerked his head to the sound of laughter. There were too small children, playing in the backyard of their home. They were fraternal twins. One was a boy and one was a girl. Dipper extinguished the cigarette and walked over to the fence, watching them. The girl pushed the boy into the mud, giggling. Next, the boy turned around, scooped up some mud into his hand, and chucked it at his sister, chortling. Dipper smiled, frowned as he looked down at his feet, and continued walking to school.

" Okay, Class," the teacher announced as he passed out sheets of paper. " Today, we are having a math test. No books or calculators, please. Put your cellphones away or you will get an automatic F. You may start now."

The students began taking their math test. Dipper was the first to finish. He pulled out a book and read it until the bell rang. The teen was just about to head to his next class when the teacher stepped in front of him.

" Dipper, I need to speak to you," he uttered. " Meet me at my desk."

" What about," Dipper asked, raising an eyebrow as he obeyed the order.

" I found this," the teacher held up the pack of cigarettes. " I saw this fall out of your pocket. You know we have a policy against this, Mr. Pines. You are also underage."

" So, you caught me," Dipper sighed then shrugged. " Go ahead. Write me up, give me detention, suspend me, expel me…"

" I'm not going to do that, this time," the teacher retorted then locked the pack of cigarettes in one of the drawers. " I would like to arrange a parent-teacher conference with your parents, first. This isn't like you, Mr. Pines. The Dipper Pines I know is a model student. You better shape back up, before you jeopardize your future."

" I don't have a future," Dipper mumbled as he glanced down at his feet, narrowing his eyes. " Not since Mabel."

" Oh, that's what this is about," the teacher uttered, raising his eyebrows. " Yeah, you're off the hook, for now. I'm still speaking to your parents, though. Well, you better get off to your next class. Don't want to be late now."

The warning bell rang. Dipper headed off to his next class as fast as he could. The teacher picked up the phone and began making calls. When Dipper came home, he was greeted by his mother at the front door. She had her hands on her hips, glaring.

" Abel Theodore Pines," she hissed. " What did you do?"

" Mom," Dipper widened his eyes.

" Don't you Mom me," she snapped. " Your teacher called and has requested a conference with me. No teacher has done that, ever."

" Well, maybe things have changed there," Dipper shrugged as he walked around her. " I am a straight A student, after all. Maybe they would like to brag about it or offer a more advanced class."

" I've got my eye on you, young man" she retorted, as her gaze followed him. " I'll let you off the hook with whatever it actually was, for now. If I find out you did something you weren't supposed to do, you will be in big trouble. You hear me?"

Dipper gulped then sprinted upstairs. His mom stood at the bottom, watched him until he entered his room then walked into the kitchen. The boy closed his bedroom door behind him and flung his backpack onto his bed. He pulled a cigarette out of his pocket and stared at it, brushing his fingers along the sides. His phone vibrated. It had been a few days since he read and answered any text messages, so he picked up his phone and scanned it. Wendy was too depressed to leave her room, Robbie was reported missing, Pacifica developed an eating disorder and refused to seek help, Soos took up drinking after Stan died, Gideon went insane and wound up in a padded room, and nobody heard anything from Fiddleford. Dipper raised an eyebrow at the text messages and began responding to them one at a time.

" Wendy, what's wrong," Dipper asked. " Why won't you leave your room?"

" Why should I leave my room," Wendy replied. " Life doesn't have meaning to me anymore, so I'm just going to stay here, forever."

" You've got to come out sometime," Dipper responded. " Everybody's worried about you. You wanna talk about it?"

" I'm tired of people mistaking me for a guy all the time," Wendy answered. " I have been raised around men. My mother died when I was twelve, so I had no female role model to look up to."

" Hmm…," Dipper pondered then began typing. " Wendy, you're cool just the way you are. I never thought you were a guy. I always thought you were a beautiful goddess."

" You're just saying that," Wendy stated.

" No, I'm serious," Dipper typed. " You're a drop dead gorgeous woman. You certainly caught my attention."

" Dipper, there is such a thing as too nice, you know," Wendy replied. " I am not as beautiful as you think. Bye."

Dipper sighed then moved onto the next text message, which was from Candy. He began texting her.

" What's this about Pacifica and having an eating disorder," Dipper asked.

" She is so skinny, her bones are showing," Candy replied. " Grenda caught her throwing up in the bathroom during lunch several times the past month or two. Pacifica said something about being too fat. We tried to get her to ask for help, but she won't budge and her parents are encouraging it."

" Are you kidding me," Dipper typed. " Pacifica was never fat."

" She's always been curvy," Grenda interrupted. " This is Grenda, by the way. Dipper, you better talk to her. Maybe she'll listen to you better, seeing that you're a boy and she really likes you."

" I couldn't get Wendy to listen to me," Dipper stated. " I doubt Pacifica will even look at my text."

" Just try, Dipper," Candy pleaded. " Please."

" I'll try, but I can't make any promises on progress," Dipper retorted then began texting Pacifica. " Pacifica, Candy and Grenda told me what happened. You need to eat something."

" Only fat people eat," Pacifica snapped. " Don't be telling me what to do, Mabel. I know it's you on your brother's phone."

" Pacifica, this is Dipper," Dipper responded. " Mabel's dead, remember? Listen. You need to get a grip on yourself. Those crash diets are dangerous. They could kill you."

" My mom's been on those diets for years and she is doing just fine," Pacifica retorted.

" Candy, have you tried telling the school about it," Dipper texted Candy and Grenda.

" Not yet, but we will," Candy replied.

" Pacifica, where did you get the idea you were fat," Dipper questioned the blonde. " Your mother?"

" No," Pacifica snapped. " These girls at school. They said I was getting fat and if I didn't do anything about it, I would be as big as Grenda, so I'm going on a diet. Ugh. I'm still chubby. I can't even look at myself in the mirror anymore. It's disgusting."

" Pacifica, those girls have no idea what they're talking about," Dipper stated. " If you were fat, I wouldn't have been able to lift you during the dance at that party. Noodle arms."

" Really," Pacifica asked. " I'm that light?"

" Yes, you are," Dipper retorted. " Now, please, eat something before you go into cardiac arrest."

" Okay, Dipper," Pacifica replied. " Bye. Oh, and Dipper? Thanks."

" Sure she will," Dipper said aloud then began text messaging Soos. " Hey, Soos. It's Dipper. I knew Stan was like a father to you. Just wanted to let you know, I'm here for you, Man."

" What do you want, you little brat," Soos snapped. " Can't you see I'm busy?"

" Soos, we're on the phone," Dipper retorted. " I can't see what you're doing. Did you just call me a brat?"

" Yes, because you left, Mr. Pines died," Soos typed in caps and used several explanation points. " This is all your fault. All your fault. If only you had just stayed, he'd still be alive. We are no longer friends. It's over, Dude."

Dipper's heart sank as he read the message. He put the phone down and sighed, hugging his knees to his chest. He picked up his final cigarette and began smoking it. Suddenly, Amelia appeared beside him.

" So, would you like to see your sister now," she asked and Dipper glared at her. " No? Look. The world was a much better place when your sister was here. I highly recommend bringing her back."

" I'll think about it," Dipper muttered.

" You'll think about it," she beamed as she shook her fists in excitement. " Finally warming up to me, eh?"

" I said I'd think about it," Dipper said, pointing at her. " That doesn't mean I'll say yes."

" Doesn't mean you'll say no, either," the demon poked Dipper on the nose." Well, see ya later, Kid. I gotta pick up my kids from school."

She disappeared. Dipper sat up from his bedroom floor, rubbing his cheek.

" Ouch," he muttered then widened his eyes, gasping.

His bedroom floor had caught on fire. The cigarette had fallen out of his mouth and onto the carpet. He stomped it out, but not before it triggered the smoke detector. Mrs. Pines heard it, raced up to his room with a fire extinguisher and opened the door, pointing the hose at the floor.

" I have a fire extinguisher and I know how to use it," she shouted then looked down at the burn mark on the floor, along with the extinguished cigarette and a guilty looking Dipper.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Dipper put his arms behind his back, smiling and blushing. He glanced down at his feet, frowning. His mom grabbed him by his ear, dragging him down to the living room couch. She forced him to sit down.

" Smoking," she shouted. " You were smoking? Is that why your teacher called me?"

" I," Dipper stuttered, rubbing his arm and looking away. " He didn't actually catch me smoking. He saw a pack of cigarettes fall out of my vest."

" Oh, and what were they doing in your vest," she asked, folding her arms.

" I was holding onto them for a friend," Dipper replied as he looked back up at her, causing his mom to put her hands on her hips and glare at him.

" Dipper, I saw the used cigarette on the floor and the burn mark that it made," she spat, gesturing toward upstairs. " The proof is in the carpet. You, Dipper, are grounded for a full month."

" A month," Dipper squeaked, widening his eyes. " But…"

" Better make that two months," she stated as she raised two fingers up.

" But," Dipper started, his mother shook her head, and he stared at his lap, folding his arms. " Okay, Mom."

" Honestly, Dipper," she uttered, sighing. " Sometimes, it feels like I don't even know you anymore. Why? Why did you do it?"

" It helps me cope with Mabel's death," Dipper muttered, sinking down into the couch cushions.

Mrs. Pines raised her eyebrows and sat down next to him, wrapping her arm around his shoulders. Dipper wrapped his arms around her and began sobbing. Shermy entered the living room with a plate of liver and onions.

" Who wants liver and onions," he exclaimed, holding the plate into the air, grinning. " I used my secret…"

He stopped and looked at the two. Shermy went back into the kitchen, acting like he did not see anything. The next day, Mrs. Pines went to the conference. She sat in a chair on the opposite side of the desk.

" Now, your son is a bright boy, Mrs. Pines," the teacher started. " However, I have a concern. Yesterday, I caught him carrying around a pack of cigarettes. This isn't like him. I have had him as a student before and he has always been a model. Is everything alright in the home?"

" Well, we just experienced the loss of a family member," Mrs. Pines started. " Our daughter died in a terrible accident over the summer. I just caught him with a cigarette last night, myself. He's been using it as a coping mechanism."

" I see," the teacher uttered as he began writing something down on a piece of paper. " Sounds like he's extremely depressed. I recommend he see a counselor for this. Get the whole household involved, if need be. I'm so sorry for your loss, Mrs. Pines. You're dismissed."

He handed her the paper. Mrs. Pines nodded her head, took the paper, and left the classroom. Dipper was sitting on a bench, outside, reading a textbook. She walked through the door and began heading toward the car, not saying a word. Dipper followed her and hopped into the front passenger seat, raising an eyebrow. She hopped into the driver's seat, sighing as she closed her eyes.

" So, what did he say," Dipper asked, putting on his seat-belt. " Am I grounded? Suspended? What?"

" He recommended counseling," she started up the car and began driving.

" He thinks I'm crazy," Dipper's voice cracked as he widened his eyes.

" No, he thinks you're depressed," she turned a corner. " Not thinks. Knows."

" Mom, you're not sending me to those quacks with clipboards," Dipper protested. " Look. I'll be fine. Mabel died a few months ago. Her death is still…"

" But you're coping with it in a negative way," his mother interrupted as she parked in the driveway of their property. " How much have you been smoking?"

" How much," Dipper echoed, unbuckling his seat-belt.

" Yes, how much," she retorted, finally looking at him. " How much have you been smoking a day?"

" Very little," Dipper stated then his mom folded her arms, raising an eyebrow at him. " A pack a day at the most, I swear."

" Sweetie, you need help," she stated, pulling the keys out of the ignition. " This. This isn't healthy for you. I'm going to set up an appointment with a shrink at the earliest time that I can."

" But," Dipper started then she grunted, causing him to recoil. " Yes, Mother…So, what brought you home so early?"

" Your father had me come check on you," she answered, opening the car door and stepping out, Dipper following suit. " He didn't want to leave you alone with Shermy for too long. Last time, the man wound up with his head stuck in the kitchen sink's drain."

" And yet, he was afraid to leave me and Mabel with Grunkle Stan," Dipper muttered, slamming his car door shut.

" You heard us," the mother widened her eyes, gently pushing her car door closed until it clicked.

" Loud and clear," Dipper sighed, walking toward the front door. " I can't believe he's gone, too."

" Ford told me all about it," she uttered, catching up to him. " He called me twice. Once to tell me about Stan and again to tell me to keep a very close eye on you."

" Yeah, he caught me in the act," Dipper stated as the two went inside the house.

Mrs. Pines went into the kitchen and Dipper went upstairs. He dropped off his stuff in his room then went into Mabel's old room. Dipper sat down on the bed and glanced around. Everything in it was the same as she had left it before the summer, only dusty. There were boy-band posters scattered across the walls, stuffed animals taking up every corner of the room, and coloring books stacked neatly on a desk with several crayons nearby. Also, there was an old pink backpack with a teddy bear head hanging from the desk's chair and a bed with a quilt spread from corner to corner, several pillows piled up at the head of the mattress. Dipper lied down, staring up at the ceiling. On the ceiling were pictures of him and Mabel, from birth up until they left Piedmont. The remaining pictures were still up in Gravity Falls, along with the stuff Mabel packed for the trip and back. Dipper grabbed one of Mabel's pillows and hugged it, crying. Suddenly, his phone began ringing. He wiped his eyes, took a deep breath then held it up to his ear.

" Hello," he answered then widened his eyes, shouting. " She what?"

" Tambry went out searching for Robbie," Wendy sobbed into the phone. " They were both found dead this afternoon. Lee, Nate, and Thompson tried to stop her, but she lost them in the graveyard."

Dipper's phone vibrated, showing a text message.

" Pacifica just went into the hospital today," Candy stated.

It vibrated again, showing another message.

" Somebody just found McGucket," Grenda texted. " A local hunter found his skeleton in the stomach of a pterodactyl. Gross."

The phone vibrated a third time.

" Am I using this text message thingy right," an unknown number asked. " This is Great Uncle Ford. Now where is the send button? Ah. Here it is. Candy and Grenda are getting me up to date on the new technology. Smiley face. Why do you girls want me to add a winky face, instead? What's a winky face? Oh, before I forget. Your mother called me. I'm going to be your therapist. Yes, I'm a licensed psychiatrist. We will do this over video chat. Whatever the heck that is."

Dipper read them then held the phone back up to his ear, an expression of concern on his face.

" This is all my fault," Wendy bawled. " If-If I had just come out of my room, I could've been there to stop her. I'm a lousy best friend."

Once more, the phone vibrated. Dipper glanced at the message.

" Dipper, I'm in the hospital," Pacifica stated. " I collapsed today. Doctors said I got really lucky. Yeah, lucky now that I am beautiful. Ugh. I don't feel so good."

" Wendy, this isn't your fault," Dipper said, cradling the phone. " Even if you were there, she still would've got away. There was no changing her mind. She was going to go, whether anybody liked it or not."

" She never listened to the boys, Dipper," Wendy shrieked. " Tambry always listened to me."

The phone vibrated a fifth time. Dipper sighed and read it.

" Dipper, what problems did we have in math class, again," Leonard questioned. " Oh. I received your book report by mistake. A plus, as usual."

" Not always," Dipper uttered, putting the phone back up against his ear. " I recall you telling her not to eat your piece of cake. She ate it anyway and blamed it on Thompson. See? She didn't always listen to you."

" I'm starting to think I don't deserve friends then," Wendy sighed. " If I can't keep them from dying then I may as well not have them. Later."

She hung up the phone, ignoring pleas from Dipper. Dipper groaned and began replying to the text messages. Eventually, it was Saturday. Dipper decided to go to the park. There, he saw a group of older teens, smoking, drinking, and doing drugs. He gulped and turned around.

" Hey, Kid," one of them shouted, causing Dipper to freeze up. " Where's that money you owe me for the cigarettes?"

" I'll give it to you once I get my allowance," Dipper retorted, turning around and scratching the back of his head. " Which will be tomorrow."

" You know, Kid," she stated as she approached him. " You really know how to handle your buds. How would you like to try the heavier stuff?"

" I don't think so," Dipper replied, putting a hand up while shaking his head. " That's not really my thing."

" If you say so," she uttered as she rolled her eyes then muttered under her breath. " What a baby."

" Well, I should get going," Dipper stated as he walked away. " See ya."

" I don't think so, Kid," a boy bellowed as he grabbed Dipper by the shoulder. " You agreed to be a part of this gang and now, you're going to act like it, one way or another."

Several hours later, Dipper stumbled into the house and up to his bedroom. He was beat up, drugged up, and intoxicated. Dipper was the only one home at the time. His parents were out on a date. Ford texted him.

" Ready for another session," he asked. " I think I finally figured out how to get the video chat to work. Smiles."

" Not tonight, Great Uncle Ford," Dipper replied. " I don't feel too well."

" Then we can just chat like regular," Ford stated.

" I just want to go to bed," Dipper texted. " My head and my stomach are killing me."

" Well, in that case, I'll talk to you in the morning then," Ford texted. " Get well soon, Kid."

Dipper sighed then lied down on his bed, draping the covers over him. Suddenly, he woke up at three in the morning and ran into the bathroom, puking. After he was done, Dipper army crawled back to his room, but remained on the floor. Eventually, the boy gained the strength to glance at his alarm clock. It was now seven in the morning. He sighed. Ford was going to contact him soon. The boy pulled himself onto his computer chair and turned on his laptop, waiting. Soon, Ford had logged on.

" Morning, Dipper," Ford uttered then widened his eyes. " Whoa. You weren't kidding about being sick."

" Huh," Dipper looked into his bedroom mirror.

He had dark circles under his eyes, his skin was pale, his hair was messier than normal, and he had throw-up on his shirt, which was wrinkled and stained with beer. Dipper glanced back at the screen.

" Do you need another day," Ford asked and Dipper shook his head. " Alright then. Your call. So, where did we leave off? Ah. Yes. Here we go."

The session continued from there. Dipper talked, while Ford listened and asked questions.

" I am so glad you got help when you did, Dipper," Ford noticed Dipper fidgeting and looking around. " You are making excellent progress already. Dipper, what is it?"

" Great Uncle Ford, can you keep a secret," Dipper asked, nervously making eye contact.

" As your therapist or family member," Ford questioned, putting down his clipboard and pen.

" Both," Dipper requested, scratching the back of his head.

" Maybe," Ford stated, holding a hand to his chin. " Depends."

" Well, I was forced to do a horrible thing yesterday," Dipper admitted, hugging his knees against his chest. " You know how I got a hold of those cigarettes, right? Part of that was a lie. There was more than one kid and they are actually high school students. Well, I ran into them yesterday and they forced me into doing drugs and alcohol."

Ford almost fell out of his chair from the shock. He steadied himself.

" You're not addicted, are you," Ford gasped and Dipper shook his head. " Good. I am reporting this to your parents. They need to hear this."

" Great Uncle Ford, I got it under control," Dipper uttered, reassuringly. " I'll pay off my debt today and won't have to worry about them anymore."

" Dipper, as your uncle, it is my responsibility to protect you," Ford stated, folding his arms. " I'm telling your parents and that's final. You may have this under control for now, but those kids will just keep coming back for more until something really bad happens."

" But," Dipper protested, but stopped when Ford gave him a hard glare. " Yes, Great Uncle Ford."

" Just stay away from those kids," Ford uttered, dismissing the remark from Dipper about how horrible it is to be a kid and how adults could do anything they wanted. " Don't give them any money, avoid the areas they frequent, and stay with a buddy until this whole thing is sorted out."

Dipper nodded his head. The session ended. Soon, Monday came around. Dipper woke up in Mabel's old room. He got up and got ready for school. As soon as he arrived on campus, students kept looking and laughing at him. Dipper shrugged and went to his first class.

" Good morning, Piedmont Pirates," the announcer on the tv stated, cheering. " Just here to say, do not forget to purchase your tickets for the trip to the museum. Yay! Today's lunch is mac and cheese with green beans and milk. We also have a very special video, starring one of our very own students. Please enjoy."

The video started playing. Dipper widened his eyes. His peers began snickering and whispering.

" Hi, I'm Dipper Pines and these are my friends," Dipper pointed the camera toward some high school students. " Today, we are going to show you…Eh, show you…What are we doing again?"

" How many times you can spin around on the merry-go-round til you puke," one of them shouted.

" Right," Dipper hiccuped as he pointed the camera toward himself. " That. Well, let's get started."

The teens tied Dipper to the merry-go-round and spun him around until he puked. Soon, the merry-go-round stopped and Dipper started laughing. His hair was sticking up.

" Dude, what's that on your forehead," one of the teens asked, pointing.

" Birthmark," Dipper replied as he lifted his bangs, revealing more of it. " It's a birthmark. That's how I got my nickname."

" That is sick," another one of the teens chuckled. " Too bad we didn't get any of this on tape. That would've been awesome."

" Yeah, too bad," Dipper chortled as the teens untied him.

The video ended there. Dipper picked up a textbook and hid behind it. Eventually, the school day was over and the students went outside to wait for the buses. They were still discussing the video, while Dipper continued hiding behind textbooks, listening.

" Hey, let's go star gazing tonight," one of the students said, laughing. " Oh, wait. We can do that during the day now. Ha."

" Now we know why he's called Dipper," another student said, chuckling. " Also explains his ridiculously long bangs and why he never takes his hat off."

" I was in every class with him in elementary school," a third student said. " He didn't used to hide his birthmark. Shame. I always thought it was cool."

" You're kidding, right," the first student scoffed." That is the freakiest thing I've ever seen. And I thought my mother's extra toe was weird."

" I wouldn't be surprised if one of his family members had six fingers on each hand," the second student uttered, causing Dipper to glare and clench his teeth. " I wonder if everybody in that family has something weird about them. Maybe they are part of a circus."

" For your information, my family is very normal," Dipper shouted as he put the book away and approached the group. "Yes, I have a weird birthmark. Yes, I do have a family member with six fingers on each hand, but that doesn't make any of us any less human than the rest of you. Stop picking on me and shut up, before I smash your faces in."

" Sheesh, and I thought your sister was nuts," the first student said then he looked around. " Where is she? I haven't seen her around."

" My sister is dead," Dipper retorted, trying to hold back his tears. " Died in a terrible accident."

" What'd you do," the second student asked in a snarky voice, putting her hands on her hips. " Look at her?"

" She fell off of a cliff, actually," he hissed.

" Oh, she couldn't take being related to you anymore, so she killed herself," the first student chortled, pointing at him.

" That, or you were so jealous of her that you killed her," the second student laughed as the first one high-fived her.

" Guys, I think you should step off," the third student suggested, frowning. " Go easy on him."

Dipper's lower lip trembled and he charged at them, screaming. He began punching and kicking. The two students began punching and kicking back. Other students glanced over and gathered around in a circle, chanting at them to keep fighting. Dipper threw one of the bullies over his shoulder and onto the other bully, knocking them both to the ground. One of them grabbed Dipper by the ankle, tripping him. The two then pinned Dipper to the sidewalk. Dipper buckled his knees and kicked them off, standing up. One of them grabbed the brim of his hat and yanked it over his eyes, blocking his view. The other one tackled him from behind, pushing him against a tree. Dipper elbowed them in the face and adjusted his hat. He went to lunge at them. Suddenly, he felt himself being lifted up off the ground. He turned around and gasped. It was the principal.

" You are in big trouble, Mr. Pines," the principal uttered as she and Dipper sat down in the main office. " I'm afraid I have to suspend you, for two days."

" They made fun of my sister's death," Dipper argued, pointing at the door. " I couldn't just stand there and do nothing."

" Dipper, the next time you're having problems, go to a faculty member for help," the principal said, clasping her hands together.

" I have, several times," Dipper uttered, tearing up. " Nothing changes. The bullies always get off easy around here."

" Who says they are getting off easy," the principal asked, raising an eyebrow. " I suspended them for two weeks. It's you I'm going easy on. Dipper, I know you're going through a tough time in your life, but that doesn't mean you can break our No Violence policy. I don't care if it's self-defense. Look, you're a straight A student. A genius. You currently hold the highest test scores this school has ever seen. Don't jeopardize your future, because of a few bad apples."

" Yes, Principal Marsha," Dipper sighed, looking at his feet.

" Good," the principal uttered, smiling. " Now, I'm going to give you a ride home. I'm sure your parents are worried."

The principal drove Dipper home and explained everything to his parents. After she left, they had Dipper sit on the couch.

" Am I grounded," Dipper questioned.

" No, you're not grounded," his mother retorted. " Dipper, what were you thinking? You could've gotten hurt. Maybe I should have Ford give you more therapy."

" No, the amount of therapy is fine," Dipper uttered, wrapping his arms around himself. " It's just. What those bullies said about Mabel really hurt. I had to do what I had to do, since she couldn't be there to defend herself."

" Dipper, I think you did the right thing standing up to them," the father said, placing a hand on his shoulder. " But, next time, wait until you're off school grounds."

" Okay," Dipper replied then went upstairs, closing his bedroom door behind him.

He lied on his bed and stared at the ceiling, sighing. Soon, Amelia appeared.

" So, Kid," Amelia uttered, filing her nails. " Do we have a deal now? You get your sister back and this whole mess never happens."

" My answer is no," Dipper uttered, sitting up and glaring. " As much as I want her back, no."

" So, you'd rather spend the rest of your life in agony," Amelia asked, raising her eyebrow. " With your sister, things were pretty sweet. You always helped each other out with problems. Now that you're alone, those problems have escalated. Let's face it. You were much happier when she was alive. I mean, look at you. You're smoking, you're getting into fights, you're having crying spells every day, and your parents sent you to therapy. What a life."

" At least I try to keep myself busy," Dipper retorted, folding his arms. " You lost your husband and now you're following me like a lost puppy dog."

" Only because I want to help you," Amelia uttered, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. " Oh. That reminds me. Your friends' lives are also in shambles. If I were to bring Mabel back, their lives would go back to normal, too. That also means bringing your Grunkle Stan back."

" I don't know," Dipper muttered, tapping his chin, looking away.

" Last chance, Kid," Amelia said, gesturing with a shrug.

" Not until I know the catch," Dipper uttered.

" There is no catch," Amelia responded, pulling away. " Just undoing the damages my husband wreaked upon this world."

Dipper looked her in the eye. He reached out his hand. Amelia grabbed his hand and shook it.

" I knew you'd come around," Amelia chimed. " Now, you wait right here, while I go get your sister, Okay?"

Amelia disappeared. Next, there was a knock on Dipper's bedroom door.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

" Hey, Bro-bro," a familiar voice shouted. " Mom says it's time for dinner. Put your nerd things away and join us."

Dipper opened the door and widened his eyes, dropping his jaw. Mabel was standing in the doorway, alive. His eyes started watering. Mabel raised an eyebrow, frowning.

" You okay," Mabel tilted her head then put her hands on her hips. " Was it Betty the Bus Bully, again? Did you bring home an A minus? Is it Wendy, again?"

Dipper stood there, still staring at her. Mabel kept rambling, not noticing her brother was tuning her voice out. He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her, sobbing into her shoulder.

" You're upset that Taco Tuesday at school is cancelled," Mabel uttered, widening her eyes. " Seriously, Bro. There are more important things to be upset about than food."

" You're alive," Dipper mumbled, choking.

" Yes, I'm alive," Mabel chuckled, grinning. " I was in my room. That's where I always go after school. Doy."

" No, you were dead," Dipper muttered, hugging her tighter, sniffling. " Really dead. You died over the summer. Life has been awful without you."

" Dipper, you're acting strange," Mabel uttered as she pulled back. " Are you sick or something? I'll get Mom and Dad."

She turned to walk away. Dipper widened his eyes and clenched his teeth, sweating.

" Mabel, don't," Dipper snapped as he grabbed Mabel's hand, turning her around. " I'm fine. Look. I just, uh, fell asleep at my desk and had a really bad nightmare. It felt super real."

" Well, in that case, I won't," Mabel chirped then closed one eye, wagging a finger. " But I'm still keeping an eye on you."

The twins laughed and went downstairs. After they were done eating dinner, they went back upstairs and into their rooms. Dipper climbed into bed and began reading his text messages.

" Sup," Wendy texted with a smiley face. " When are you coming back to Gravity Falls? Everybody misses you. You won't believe what Thompson ate this time."

" I am really starting to get the hang of this new technology," Ford chimed. " Now to teach Stanley and Fiddleford. Smiley face."

" You should see the text message Mr. Pines sent to me," Soos uttered. " It says: Ajfkdlajfaklfjdklafjlkjfdajfjfkajdflajfdl. I have no idea what that means, but I think he wants me to come in early tomorrow. I should probably call him, just to be sure."

" Ugh, I finally got rid of my fake friends," Pacifica scoffed. " They tried to get me to go on a crash diet. Judging by my gene pool, I've got nothing to worry about, unlike them."

" We are popular," Grenda and Candy cheered.

" Dipper, do you have Mabel's new number," Gideon asked. " This is Gideon, btw. She is always constantly changing her number. I can't keep up. Who knew having her as a girlfriend would be this much work."

Dipper grinned, widely. Amelia did just as she promised. He was happy, his family was happy, his friends were happy, and Mabel was alive and happy. Something still nagged at the back of his mind, though.

" Did I make the right choice," he questioned himself.

Meanwhile, back in the nightmare realm. Amelia was cheering and cackling, while spinning around in her office chair. Her children sat across from her.

" Yes, we did it," Amelia shouted, throwing her arms in the air. " Now, for the rest of the plan."

" What," the pink triangle asked, looking up from her compact mirror. " Are you going to give them each a prince and a princess and then they will live happily ever after?"

" Yeah, we put in all that hard work for nothing," the blue triangle whined, folding his arms. " I thought the plan was to cause them misery."

" Relax," Amelia uttered as she floated toward them. " Your work has not gone to waste. In fact, we will be seeing somebody we haven't seen in a while very soon."

" Who," the two young triangles questioned.

" You'll see," Amelia uttered, leaving the office. " Now, off to bed. We have a big day ahead of us."

" Yes, Mother," the two uttered then went to bed.

The next day, Dipper woke up to his alarm, which looked like an alien.

" Get up, Human," it shouted, while the rest of the alarm beeped. " It's time for school. Get up. Get up. Get up."

Dipper slammed his fist on the button, shutting it off. He got out of bed and went to the bathroom. Dipper yawned then glanced in the mirror. He was wearing a yellow tuxedo with a black bow-tie and a matching top hat.

" Ugh, Mabel," Dipper groaned then went back to his room.

He opened his closet to find that all of his outfits were the same as the one he was wearing. Dipper opened up his dresser drawers and found the same thing. He went over to Mabel's room and knocked on the door. Mabel opened it. She was wearing a yellow blouse with a matching skirt. The girl also had a black bow on her head and another around her waist.

" Hey, Dipper," Mabel chimed then glanced Dipper up and down. " Still in your pjs, huh?"

" Very funny, Mabel," Dipper uttered, putting his hands on his hips. " Now, where are my real clothes?"

" Those are your real clothes, Silly," Mabel stated, gesturing at the outfit. " Ever since Bill took over, we don't have very many options as far as clothing goes. All the guys wear the same thing and all the girls wear the same thing."

" Mabel, we defeated Bill, remember," Dipper raised an eyebrow.

" Nope, we left Gravity Falls early, because Gideon took over the shack," Mabel retorted, putting on her backpack. " After we left, Bill took over the world."

" What about Great Uncle Ford," Dipper asked.

" Who's Great Uncle Ford," Mabel questioned, raising an eyebrow.

" Never-mind," Dipper uttered then walked back into his room. " We can talk about this later. We're gonna be late for school."

After Dipper got dressed, the twins left for school. On the way there, Dipper noted that all of the buildings were in the shapes of pyramids, including their own house. Once they arrived, the twins went to their first class.

" Okay, Class," Ms. Schneider uttered, sitting down at her desk. " Today, we will be learning more about Bill Cipher. We all know Bill was born over a trillion years ago in this dimension. He was later banished to, what is called, the Nightmare Realm, due to Time Baby's jealousy. Bill got more attention than him. Now he is back in our own dimension, thanks to a local psychic in Gravity Falls, Oregon. Can anybody name him?"

" Gideon Gleeful," a student answered.

" Very good, Jimmy," the teacher chimed then looked around. " Does anybody know the rest of the story?"

" Gideon freed Bill from the Nightmare Realm, after defeating a scientist named Stanford Pines," another student said. " It turns out Stanford and Bill were on the same team. Stanford was going to let him into our dimension, until Ford betrayed him out of jealousy. He was jealous Bill was smarter than him. Ford is now Bill's servant til this day."

" We have got to get out of here," Dipper whispered to himself, widening his eyes.

He glanced over at his sister. She was smiling, while taking notes. Soon, it was lunchtime. The school cafeteria served triangle shaped sandwiches with sand and eyeballs inside. Dipper and Mabel sat with Leonard. Mabel and Leonard began eating their sandwiches, while Dipper poked at his.

" Aren't you going to eat," Mabel asked, glancing at him.

" Nah," Dipper responded, sighing. " Not hungry."

" You might want to eat," Leonard said then circled his hands around his mouth, whispering. " He is watching us."

" Who," Dipper raised an eyebrow, looking up.

" Bill Cipher," Leonard pointed at the camera on the cafeteria wall. " He has access to every camera in the world. If we don't do what he wants, there are severe consequences. He could turn us into slaves, send us to another dimension, rearrange our faces, make us go insane, or possess and kill us."

" Typical Bill," Dipper scoffed, glaring. " So, you're against Bill, too, huh?"

" Everybody is," Leonard retorted as he continued eating. " They just pretend like they're not. Yeah, just eat your sandwich and keep your head down."

" I don't think so," Dipper uttered, pushing the tray away. " I'm not eating that."

The students glanced over at Dipper, gasping. Mabel's and Leonard's jaws dropped. Soon, the cafeteria fell silent. Suddenly, two of Bill's minions busted through the doors, nabbing Dipper and handcuffing him.

" You are under arrest for insubordination," one of the monsters yelled.

" We must now take you to Bill Cipher for punishment," the other monster scolded.

Next, the monsters began carrying Dipper out of the school. Dipper glanced behind him, assuring his sister and friend he would be fine. Mabel watched him, hands over her mouth, crying. Leonard placed a hand on her shoulder, frowning. Once they were out of sight, everybody resumed what they were doing, except Mabel and Leonard. Mabel sobbed even harder, while Leonard took off his hat and placed it over his chest.

Meanwhile, in Bill's floating lair, the triangle demon himself was sitting on his throne, reclining back. Ford was standing next to him, fanning him and feeding him. Soon, the door to the lair opened, letting the monsters and Dipper in. Dipper was squirming, screaming at the monsters to let him go. Bill's eye widened as he leaned forward.

" Well, hello there, Pine Tree," Bill chimed as he approached him. " Nice to see you drop by. Thanks for letting me take over the world, by the way."

" I don't understand," Dipper bellowed, glaring. " How are you still alive? I thought you were dead."

" I was dead until you made that deal with Amelia," Bill stated, flicking Dipper's nose. " You see, once she brought your sister back to life, Gideon never got mad at me and said that horrible spell. So, I took over the world from there. Oh, but I didn't stop there. I went back in time and made sure that Gideon took over Gravity Falls without any meddlers, so I could take over sooner. In other words, I had him let you and your sister go back to Piedmont, for obvious reasons, which explains why your sister doesn't remember the rest of the summer or her death."

" So, how'd he get the first journal," Dipper asked. " There were only three of them."

" It's simple," Bill stated with a chuckle. " Gideon found the code to that vending machine of Fez's and found it in there. While he was in there, I had him bring back Fordsy over here as my prisoner. Wave to the kid, Sixer."

Ford rolled his eyes. Bill zapped him. Ford flinched then waved at Dipper. Dipper's eyes widened as his jaw dropped.

" Great Uncle Ford," Dipper wailed.

" Put the kid in the dungeon," Bill ordered his minions then pointed at Ford. " Take Sixer with you, too. I've gotta run some errands around the world."

The monsters did as they were told and locked the two in the dungeon. Dipper banged on the door, bellowing at it, until he tired out. Ford approached him from behind and placed a hand on his shoulder. Dipper looked up at him. Ford looked away, sighing and shaking his head. He walked to the other side of the dungeon and sat on the bed. Dipper sat on the floor, hugging his knees and staring at Ford.

" Dipper, I am deeply disappointed in you," Ford uttered, looking back up. " I can't believe you made a deal with Amelia. She's even worse than Bill."

" I just wanted Mabel back," Dipper retorted, voice cracking. " I thought I was doing the right thing. Bad things kept happening to everybody after she left. Thought bringing her back would make everything better. I'm so sorry."

" Dipper, all those bad things were Amelia's doings," Ford stated, pulling out a notepad. " I did some research. She's responsible for all of the bad things in the original timeline. She did all of those things to get what she wanted from you."

Dipper walked over to Ford and sat next to him. He pulled the pack of cigarettes out of his pocket and tossed it against the wall, causing it to make a loud thud. He still had a habit of smoking.

" I can't believe it," Dipper growled as he balled his hands into fists, tearing up. " I knew it was too good to be true. So, she was responsible for McGucket's disappearance? Pacifica's eating disorder? Stan's death? Wendy's depression?…Everything?"

"Yep," Ford sighed, leaning back until he was against the wall. " And Bill and Amelia decided to let both of us keep our original memories just to torture us."

" I'm such an idiot," Dipper mumbled, slamming his fists on the mattress. " I wanted Mabel back so badly that I didn't stop to question Amelia's motives more. Had a feeling she couldn't be trusted, but I trusted her anyway. I should've told you about her from the very beginning."

" Dipper, nobody from the Cipher family can be trusted," Ford placed a hand on Dipper's shoulder, squeezing it. " You now know that."

" I wish I never made that stupid deal," Dipper whimpered, wiping his eyes.

" Dipper, let's not focus on the past here," Ford said, facing Dipper toward him. " We need to make a plan to get out of here and defeat Bill, again."

" I have one of Mabel's bobby pins," Dipper suggested, pulling one out of his pocket. " I kept it on me for memory's sake. We could use it to pick the lock."

" I don't think so, Dipper," Ford uttered, shaking his head. " Bill used a different way of locking us in."

" So, do you have any ideas," Dipper questioned, tilting his head.

" Bill said Gideon has a spell that could kill him," Ford recalled, sitting up. " If we could get Gideon on our side again and have him let us out, we could get him to use the spell, just like in the original timeline. That would get rid of all of this."

" Did somebody say my name," Gideon asked as he peeked through the bars of the cell.

" Gideon," Dipper spat then ran over to the bars, gripping them. " You have to let us out of here. Our entire universe is in danger."

" Nice try," Gideon snarled, spitting on the teen. " Why should I listen to you, Boy? You can't do anything to me, now that you're locked up."

" Dipper's right," Ford uttered, standing behind him. " If this continues, our entire universe will be destroyed."

" Not my problem," Gideon stated. " All of the important people are in this here floating pyramid."

" What about Mabel," Dipper asked. " Doesn't she mean anything to you? What happened to making her your queen?"

" Oh, I'm over her," Gideon scoffed, swatting his hand in the air. " My new queen is Wendy."

" Wendy," Dipper raised an eyebrow.

" Sup, Dude," Wendy stepped into Dipper's sight, smiling.

" Wendy, how could you," Dipper squeaked. " You know how bad Gideon is."

" What can I say," she shrugged. " I like the bad boys."

" Actually, Bill just brainwashed you into liking me," Gideon tickled her under her chin then glared at Dipper. " You know what's funny, Dipper? She could've been your wife, someday. You have excellent taste, by the way."

"I like Pacifica now, but whatever," Dipper rolled his eyes. " I still can't believe you brainwashed one of my best friends. I also feel sorry for you, because you don't really like her. You're just using her to try and hurt me. Once she figures that out, you're toast."

" I knew I should've snagged that blonde," Gideon muttered bitterly to himself, causing Wendy to glare at him. " Not that I don't like redheads. They're my top favorite."

" Dipper, what are you doing," Ford asked.

" You know, I bet I know Wendy better than you do," Dipper uttered, smirking. " I bet you don't even know her eye color, her favorite band, her favorite movie, her favorite color, her most embarrassing secret, or her childhood."

" Of course, I do," Gideon stated then started tapping his chin. " Her eyes are, um, brown. Her favorite color is pink. She threw up in public. Her favorite band is Several Times. She grew up as a twin in a two parent home. Her favorite movie is Pony Heist."

" You couldn't be farther from the truth," Dipper shook his head, folding his arms. " Those are things that describe Mabel. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you still like her."

" It is all true, now," Gideon uttered, grinning while tapping his fingers together. " Bill brainwashed her to be that way and I added color contacts to get rid of that putrid green color. All that's left to do is dye her hair."

" Giddy, is this true," Wendy questioned, raising an eyebrow. " Are your eyes still set on that woman?"

" Of course not, Peach Dumpling," Gideon turned to her, widening his eyes.

" Gideon, you still love Mabel," Dipper argued. " I know it. I can tell. You're just being a coward."

" That's a lie," Gideon hollered, pointing at him and glaring. " I'm actually trying to protect Mabel. If I so much as look at her, she dies. You think you're the only one who made a deal with Amelia to get her back? Well, I did the same thing. I was lost without her. Knowing she was dead drove me insane."

" Wait," Dipper uttered, raising his eyebrows in surprise. " You still have your original memories?"

" Yes, I do," Gideon teared up. " I'm sorry, Dipper. Your sister means the world to me and I am willing to do whatever it takes to make sure she survives me, even if it means working for Bill and taking a filthy lumberjack and brainwashing her to act and dress like Mabel."

" Filthy lumberjack," Wendy screamed, glaring at Gideon.

" But it's not the real thing," Dipper sighed then looked into Wendy's eyes. " Wendy, your eyes are green, your favorite color is flannel, you like horror movies and metal music, you lost your mother a few years ago and your father had to raise you and your three brothers by himself, and your most embarrassing secret is that picture of you at twelve."

" Sorry, Dipper," Wendy stated, smiling. " I'm afraid that is all in the past. I love who I am now."

" Do you really," Dipper challenged her. " Do you really like who you have become, by force?"

" I would do anything to please my king," Wendy chimed.

" I'm sorry to do this to you Wendy, but we can't be friends," Dipper uttered, swallowing a lump in his throat. " I can't be friends with those who are friends with enemies. It breaks the whole trust thing."

" Dipper, you can still trust me," Wendy said, placing a hand across her heart. " Just because I'm different, doesn't mean our friendship has to end."

" Actually, it does," Dipper uttered, walking away.

" Fine," Wendy responded, folding her arms, smirking. " Have it your way, Dude. I'm just going to go throw myself into the bottomless pit."

Dipper widened his eyes then turned around. Wendy plucked the contacts out of her eyes, giggling. Gideon was chuckling, too.

" I can't believe you fell for that," Wendy chirped then put on a straight face. " Listen. We're going to get you out of here as soon as we can. You're going to have to lay low, though."

" So, you were faking," Ford questioned, narrowing his eyes. " You could've given us a warning."

" If we did, we would've blown our cover, Smart Guy," Gideon sassed. " Bill's minions are everywhere. It was a miracle we were able to get permission to come down here by ourselves without supervision."

Wendy nodded to Gideon, who pulled out a key. Gideon unlocked the prison cell, letting Ford and Dipper out. After, the group began ascending the steps.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

" So, who else still has their original memories," Dipper asked, gripping onto the guardrail.

" Don't know," Wendy stated, skipping every other step. " Probably everybody on the wheel."

" Shh," Ford hushed the kids as they approached the exit, peering through the open space in the door. " Dipper, hand me my knock out gas."

Dipper reached into Ford's pocket and handed him a grenade-look-alike. Ford chucked it through the open space and into the hallway. It went off, unleashing a green powder. All of monsters in the hallway passed out. The group continued walking, after the powder cleared out.

" Mabel doesn't," Dipper stated. " She doesn't remember what really happened during the last part of the summer. She doesn't even remember dying."

" Stan is the same way," Ford added. " He doesn't remember getting me out of the portal, me punching him in the face, or him dying."

" So, Gideon, why haven't you used that spell on Bill, yet," Dipper asked, turning to Gideon.

" The speaker can only use it once," Gideon retorted then sighed as he looked down at his feet, narrowing his eyes. " I know. I've tried using it a second time. Nothing."

Suddenly, the floor started shaking, causing the group to stumble. Outside, the sky and earth were cracking into two, revealing a blacked-out space with rainbow waves. People on the ground looked around and began running away from the rip, screaming. Back inside the lair, the group was steadying themselves against the walls and each other.

" The universe is tearing," Ford shouted then began sprinting. " Hurry. Follow me."

The group followed hastily. Suddenly, time slowed down, causing the group to move in slow motion. Next, time began moving fast, causing them to look like a tape fast-forwarding. A few seconds later, they were all turned into five-year-olds. Dipper was shorter and had chubbier cheeks, Ford looked a lot like Dipper but with glasses, Wendy was a little taller than Dipper and Ford and had her hair up in pigtails, and Gideon stayed the same.

" Noodle legs," Ford and Dipper grumbled, while running at a really slow pace.

" I wanted to be twelve, not five," Wendy squeaked, glaring up at the ceiling.

" I didn't grow much in the past four to five years," Gideon uttered as he checked himself over.

Next, they got turned into ninety-year-olds. Ford's hair was white and he had more wrinkles than he did at his real age. Dipper looked a lot like Ford, but with a receding hairline and a different style of glasses. Wendy's hair faded into a sandy blonde, she was just as wrinkly as Ford and Dipper, and she was getting around with a walker. Gideon stayed the same, except he had wrinkles and hearing aids.

" Hurry," Ford's voice shook then he coughed.

" My birthmark," Dipper gasped as he widened his eyes, covering his forehead. " It cannot be seen."

" I can't climb trees with this," Wendy complained as she moved as fast as she could, a random snail passing her. " Stupid walker."

" Oh, come on," Gideon shouted at the sky, glaring. " Not even an inch."

Eventually, the group got turned back to their normal ages and the shaking stopped. Soon, they reached Bill's throne room. Bill came back from running his errands and was now sitting down. The guards brought in Mabel, who was struggling in their grasp. She managed to kick one of the guards in the ribs, knocking the wind out of them. Bill leaned forward and looked her in the eye.

" Well," he started, smirking while raising his arms up in the air. " Look who came back from the dead. How are you doing, Shooting Star?"

" Angry," Mabel shouted as she balled her hands into fists. " Where's my brother? What did you do to him?"

" Oh, I just locked him up, so I can torment him for life," Bill stated, casually. " It is my way of saying thanks. I'm not good with words."

" Thanks," Mabel raised an eyebrow then Bill approached her.

" Have you not been paying attention," Bill questioned then pointed at her. " You died in the original timeline. So did I. You and I shouldn't be here, right now. Your brother missed you so much, he made a deal with my wife to bring you back from the dead. Do the math."

" Gideon, I need the spell," Ford whispered, holding his hand out. " Now."

" I don't understand," Mabel uttered, knitting her eyebrows together, confused.

" Oh, you never got your original memory back," Bill chuckled. " Here you go."

He zapped Mabel's head, causing her eyes to dilate. Mabel shook her head then widened her eyes. She glared at him and began thrashing around more.

" You killed me," Mabel hollered. " You threw me off of a cliff and killed me. You monster. You will pay. You will pay. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you."

" Of course, I did," Bill beamed then deepened his voice, turning blue. " And I'm going to do it, again."

" Mabel," Dipper muttered under his breath.

He almost ran out there, but Ford placed a hand on his shoulder, advising him to stay.

" Here it is," Gideon handed the spell to Ford, who snagged it.

" I hope this works," Ford stated, reading it over.

" Hey, what are you doing," Mabel shouted as Bill levitated her off the ground. " Put me down."

" I would love to, Shooting Star," Bill uttered as he continued making her levitate, spinning her around. " But, it would be more fun just to drop you, especially with an audience. Pine Tree, come on down."

Bill gestured toward the wall where the group was at. Dipper did not respond. He remained in hiding. Bill let out a scoff and put a hand on his hip.

" I know you're there, Pine Tree," Bill said, glaring. " I can read your mind. Come on out now, before I disintegrate your sister. You know, this would be a good opportunity to try and save her, unlike last time. Remember that, Pine Tree? I can still hear the sound of her screaming and hitting the ground. I will make her do it, again. From what my wife told me, you will miss her terribly. Possibly even commit suicide. Yes, I know all about those hidden cuts on you. I know everything about everything in the original timeline and this timeline. So, what'll it be, Pine Tree? Your sister or your sister?"

Dipper glanced at his feet, closed his eyes, let out some air, and turned to the group.

" I have to go out there," Dipper stated and took a step forward.

" Dipper, don't," Wendy argued, grabbing Dipper by the wrist. " If you go out there now, Bill might kill you."

" If Mabel dies then I die with her," Dipper argued back, pulling his wrist away.

" I'm still waiting," Bill groaned, rolling his eye. " You know, you're making this extremely boring for me."

" Bill," Dipper bellowed as he came out of hiding, stomping. " Let go of my sister, now."

" Oh, I'll let her go," Bill chimed, bouncing Mabel up and down. " And don't even think I will kill you, Pine Tree. You will do that to yourself, anyway."

" How can you be so sure," Dipper questioned as he approached the floating triangle.

" I know you well, Pine Tree," Bill uttered, tapping Dipper on top of the head. " Without your sister, your nothing."

" Dipper, help," Mabel screamed.

" You're right," Dipper stated, earning an eyebrow raise from Bill. " Without my sister, I am nothing. I am not a twin, I am not a brother, and the joys in my life crumbled the second I knew she was dead. When you took Mabel away, you took away everything from me. Now, I'm going to get that back."

" I'd like to see you try, Pine Tree," Bill pushed a button on his tie. " Amelia, you're on, my sweet."

Amelia floated through the doorway of the dungeon, carrying the group with her powers. Dipper's jaw dropped as he stared at them. She attached the group to wooden stakes and lit the brush under it on fire. Bill attached Mabel's ankle to a heavy rock then hung her above a pool of water.

" Thought I would add a little twist this time," Bill closed his eye, while circling his free hand. " You can save your sister or you can save your team, but you can't save them both."

" Dipper, use the spell, now," Ford shouted as he moved his feet away from the fire.

" Dipper, help me," Mabel cried.

" Don't worry about us, Dipper," Wendy hollered, choking on the smoke. " Save your sister. For what it's worth, I'd rather die doing this than anything else."

" If Mabel dies then I will go to an insane asylum," Gideon shouted, tearing up. " I'd rather die instead of her."

" You've got ten seconds, Pine Tree," Bill chimed, his eye turning into a clock

Dipper pondered then recited the spell. It did not work. Bill cackled then dropped Mabel from the ceiling of the pyramid. Dipper screamed as he dived after her. Amelia zapped Dipper and knocked him onto the floor, hard, stunning him. Mabel squealed until she plunged into the pool. Bill and Amelia left the room, laughing. After they were gone, Ford pulled a knife out of his pocket and cut himself and the others free. They ran over to the twins. Wendy aided Dipper, while Ford and Gideon jumped into the pool. Dipper sat up, rubbing the top of his head.

" Ow," Dipper groaned then gawked at the tank, hollering. " Mabel."

He went to get up, but winced from the pain. Wendy grabbed him by the shoulder and arm. Soon, Ford and Gideon emerged with an unconscious Mabel. They hopped onto the floor, collapsing onto their hands and knees, coughing. Ford laid Mabel on her back and pressed his ear against her chest. Dipper ignored the pain and ran toward them. Wendy followed close behind, keeping him within arm's reach. Gideon cradled Mabel's hand, while running his other hand through her hair.

" Not again," Dipper murmured, tearing up, while sitting on his knees. " Not again."

" She'll be alright, but will be out for a little while," Ford uttered as he stood up, allowing Dipper to hold her. " Ugh. Can't believe the spell didn't work. It worked last time. Must have been a one-time only spell."

" Or Dipper mispronounced something," Wendy said, shrugging. " That spell was pretty fancy."

" No, he said the spell right," Gideon uttered as he watched Mabel's face, waiting for her to wake up. " So, how are we going to stop Bill now?"

" The memory eraser," Ford chimed, raising his eyebrows. " We could try that."

" I did that in the other time line," Dipper stated then sighed. " It didn't work."

" I have a ray gun that can destroy him," Ford stated then pointed a thumb to nowhere in particular. " It's back in my lab, but it can only be used once. That would just leave Amelia to torture us all and destroy the entire universe, though."

" Why only once," Wendy raised an eyebrow.

" The energy source to power it is hard to find," Ford replied then looked ahead. " I was lucky to come across it."

" So, we're doomed then," Wendy uttered, shrugging with one arm.

" Unless we find another way to defeat him, yes," Ford replied as he looked over at the redhead.

Mabel slowly opened her eyes.

" I'm still alive," Mabel murmured.

" Mabel," Dipper chirped then hugged Mabel tightly, smiling. " Thank goodness you're okay."

" How are you doin', my peach dumplin'," Gideon blocked Dipper's view, concern on his face.

" Tired, but I'm fine," Mabel retorted then yanked her hand away from Gideon, sighing. " What did I say about this?"

" I know you only like me as a friend/little sister/enemy and I accept that," Gideon leaned back and rung his hands, looking down. " Having you alive and happy is all that matters to me right now. Listen, Mabel. You may or may not believe me, but losing you is what changed me. It made me realize what I fool I was. Made me regret the things I did. I have switched sides. I have changed."

Gideon placed a hand on Mabel's shoulder, grinning while looking her in the eyes. Mabel raised her eyebrows then glanced at her brother.

" He's not lying," Dipper responded. " Gideon is one of us now."

" Really," Mabel tilted her head, sitting up.

" Really," Dipper smiled then frowned. " So, you have any ideas on how we can stop Bill? We're fresh out."

" There is one idea, but you're not going to like it," Mabel uttered, scratching the back of her neck and avoiding his gaze. " The spell didn't work on Bill, right? Well, Bill didn't get the chance to kill me this time."

" Mabel, what are you talking about," Wendy questioned, raising an eyebrow.

" I have to let Bill kill me," Mabel retorted, standing up. " The only reason he is alive is because I'm alive. It's the only way to restore everything back to normal."

" What," Dipper widened his eyes, voice cracking. " But, Mabel, we just got you back."

" I know," Mabel whispered then held her hand out to Dipper.

" And what about Amelia," Gideon gripped onto his hair, worry lines forming under his eyes. " She'll just make us cycle through this whole mess again."

" Not if we use the ray gun," Mabel uttered as she helped her brother back to his feet. " Let Bill kill me, recite the spell that kills him, and then shoot Amelia with that ray gun Great Uncle Ford was talking about."

" Mabel, you're talking nonsense," Dipper cried, gripping onto her arms. " I-I won't go through with it. I refuse. If Bill kills you, he'll have to kill me, too. Seriously, life has been a living nightmare without you. I have done things that I'm not proud of that make Robbie look innocent. I'd rather die than go back to that. Please. Please, don't go."

" I have no choice," Mabel stated, solemnly, turning her gaze to the floor. " Sorry, Bro-bro."

" B-but," Dipper stuttered.

" I'm afraid she's right, Dipper," Ford sighed, laying a hand on the boy's shoulder. " The universe can't withstand this sort of thing."

Dipper looked into Mabel's eyes, crying. He hugged Mabel as tight as he could. Mabel returned it, letting some tears slip, too. Gideon bawled as he wrapped his arms around Mabel's waist. Wendy and Ford joined the group hug, too.

" Aww, isn't this touching," Bill taunted as he and Amelia re-entered the room.

The group broke apart. Mabel approached Bill, bowing her head, frowning.

" Go ahead, Bill," Mabel murmured. " Strike me down. I won't fight you, my friends won't fight you, and my family won't fight you. I have accepted my fate."

" Hmm…Let me think about it," Bill tapped his face then shouted. " No. This is too boring."

" What," Mabel looked up, raising an eyebrow.

" You heard me," Bill scoffed, rolling his eye and shrugging. " It would be more fun to torment you, first. I like to play with my food before I eat it."

" Wait," Dipper shouted as he ran in front of Mabel. " Take me instead. Mabel will be fine without me."

" You have no say in this, Pine Tree," Bill snapped then pondered. " Now, how am I going to torment you, Shooting Star? Ooo. I got it."

" Do your worst," Mabel seethed as she pushed Dipper out of the way, putting an arm out in front of him. " Whatever you have for me, I'll take it."

" Mabel," Dipper gasped, widening his eyes.

" I'm as good as dead anyway, Dipper," Mabel uttered, looking back at him. "Besides, it's the only way to restore the universe. Who cares how I die."

" This is a mistake," Dipper latched onto her shoulders. " Maybe we should just live with the world as it is now."

" No, it's not," Mabel stated, arguing. " If me and Bill don't die, everybody else will. That is selfish, Dipper. I'm sorry. It's time to let go. Just trust me on this. Everything will be okay. Just trust me, please."

Dipper gazed into Mabel's eyes. She gazed back, nodding her head. He looked over at Bill, who folded his arms, glaring. Next, he looked over at his family, who were clasping their hands together and nodding. The teen glanced down at his feet, closed his eyes, sighed, and looked back up at her.

" I trust you," Dipper murmured, voice shaking. " Goodbye, Mabel."

" Goodbye, Dipper," Mabel said then turned to the group. " Goodbye, Everybody."

" Yoohoo," Bill groaned, tapping his foot. " I'm waiting. You wanna die or not?"

Mabel pushed Dipper's hands off her shoulders then faced Bill. Bill pointed at Mabel and zapped her. An orb formed around her and began ripping Mabel's soul from her body. Mabel screamed and cried until she collapsed. Her friends and family gasped at the sight. Her soul was now outside of her body. Bill snapped his fingers. Mabel let out another wail as he destroyed her soul from the inside out, disintegrating her. After that, the orb vanished. Soon, all that was left was Mabel's corpse. Dipper ran toward Mabel, cradling her in his arms, tearing up.

" Mabel," he whispered then hugged her tightly.

" Now, for the next part of the plan," Gideon uttered to Ford, who nodded.

" Okay, Bill," Ford growled as he stomped toward the floating triangle. " You killed my great-niece. What more do you want?"

" I want you and the rest of your team gone," Bill stated as he made his cane appear, gripping it in both hands firmly. " You're nothing but pests."

" Well, that's a coincidence," Wendy bantered, pointing at him. " Because we want you gone, too. You're like the annoying house guest who won't leave."

" You die next," Bill snarled, pointing back.

" Over my dead body," Dipper hollered as he stood out in front of Wendy, glaring. " You took my sister. You're not taking Wendy, too."

" I think I can arrange that," Amelia retorted, leaning close to Dipper's face.

" Now, Stanford," Gideon shouted, turning to the scientist.

Ford recited the spell the same way Dipper and Gideon did, causing Bill to disintegrate again. Amelia gawked at the spot where Bill was once floating.

" No," she screamed then glared at Ford, approaching him.

Her entire body began glowing, from a dark blue to a green color. Soon, the entire pyramid began shaking, causing it to crumble to pieces. Ford widened his eyes and backed away from Amelia, until she cornered him. Amelia then turned to Dipper and shot at him. Ford widened his eyes and leaped in front of him, getting blasted. The rest of the group stared in shock. She turned to Wendy, who went to tackle her, taking her down, too. Next was Gideon, who was on his knees, praying. She cackled, maniacally. The purple triangle then hovered over Dipper, who was too numb to move. He closed his eyes, tightly, expecting the worst.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

She took him out as well. The purple triangle smirked at her work. Suddenly, there was a familiar scream outside of the pyramid. Stan hopped off the back of a pterodactyl and through an opened window, landing on the floor via the help of a grappling hook. He had the ray gun in his hand.

" You," he pointed at Amelia, bellowing. " Nobody scares me to death, nobody takes away the Mystery Shack, and nobody messes with my family. You're going down, Sister. Say hello to your husband for me. I'll tell the kids you went on a second honeymoon."

He shot Amelia with the ray gun. Amelia scanned her body. Nothing happened. She cackled and shot Stan, sending him to the same fate as the others. Amelia stopped cackling then looked at her hands. Her eye widened. She was burning to death. The triangle screamed and screamed until she turned into ashes. Suddenly, everything began shaking and the universe slowly turned white, vanishing. All that was left were the voices of the past.

" I wish I could help," Candy's voice echoed.

" I will kill myself right now," Gideon shouted, sobbing. " Ya'll hear me?"

" I miss Stan," Soos's voice murmured, sighing.

" Here," a random voice chimed. " Have a beer. It'll drown your sorrows."

" How did you get in here," Ford asked, gasping.

" Mabel, no," Dipper screamed, voice cracking.

" Maybe I could lose a few pounds," Pacifica mumbled.

" This is how you use MeChat," Grenda grunted.

" Pine Tree," Bill chirped.

" Time for revenge," Amelia snarled.

" Time to let go," Mabel uttered.

" I'm a lousy friend," Wendy whimpered.

" What the," Stan started then screamed.

" Dipper needs to come back home," Mr. Pines said.

" You're grounded," Preston scolded.

" I'm going to my mother's," Mrs. Pines shouted.

" Has anybody seen my glasses," Shermy asked.

" I'm concerned about your son," a teacher voiced. " Is everything alright in the home?"

" You're one of us now," one of the high school kids beamed.

" Just trust me, please," Mabel squeaked. " Everything will be alright."

" There is a crack in the rift, of course," Ford cheered.

" Nobody messes with my family," Stan bellowed.

" Mabel, my life is a living nightmare with you," Dipper uttered as the universe suddenly snapped back to normal.

Time had reset itself back to the end of the summer, before Dipper went back home. Dipper was muttering in his sleep, while tossing and turning. He quickly sat up, sweating. The boy looked around the room and then over at the empty bed. Dipper faced the wall and curled up into a ball, falling asleep while sucking on his thumb. Soon, the door swung open and Stan walked in. Ford followed behind him.

" Let's make sure the little mutant is okay," Stan stated as they approached Dipper's bed.

" Huh, that's weird," Ford glanced down at Dipper. " Losing Mabel must've taken a huge toll on him."

" I'll say," Stan uttered as he scanned him. " Having to see your sibling die twice does that, I guess. Don't ever tell him we saw him sucking his thumb. It would destroy his confidence."

" Agreed," Ford nodded his head.

The older twins left the bedroom. A couple of hours later, Dipper came downstairs and entered the living room. Stan was sitting in his chair, watching tv. Ford was sitting at the table, writing in one of the journals. Stan turned his head, smiling.

" Hey, look who's up," Stan chuckled, causing Ford to look up. " How ya doing, Kid?"

" Better, but I still can't believe after everything I went through, I still couldn't save Mabel," Dipper muttered as he wrapped his arms around himself, leaning against the frame.

" Sometimes, hanging on hurts more than letting go," Stan uttered then turned off the tv. " Mabel had to be let go or we all would've been nuked. Unfortunate, yes. Unfair, yes. Sad, yes, but it had to be done. Sorry to say."

Dipper's lower lip trembled then he reached up to wipe a tear out of his eye. Stan walked over to him, wrapping him in his arms. The boy sobbed for a few minutes, before calming down and pulling away.

" Now, who wants some Stancakes," Stan chimed, placing a hand on his shoulder.

" Ew," Ford recoiled, scrunching up his nose.

" Don't like my cooking, Poindexter, don't eat it," Stan snapped, glaring at his twin.

" It's not that," Ford sighed, shaking his head. " You always get your hair in them."

" Great Uncle Ford, what are you working on," Dipper questioned as he approached the table.

" Just jotting down some notes in case Bill and Amelia come back from the dead," Ford retorted as he continued writing. " Hopefully, that's the last Cipher we ever see."

" Hey, since Bill and Amelia were married, you don't think," Dipper scratched the back of his head, looking around the room. " I mean, Amelia did say, but she might've been…"

" It's possible they might have children," Ford responded, pausing to glance up at his nephew. " I would have to research the anatomy of such demons to know for sure if they have that capability."

" Wait," Stan began as he approached them, raising an eyebrow. " I thought you wanted nothing to do with the supernatural anymore."

" Considering the supernatural followed me all the way home, I'm afraid I have to go back to it," Dipper stated, turning to him, voice faltering. " For everybody's sake…For Mabel's sake…This time, I am only using it for self-defense. No more going Kentucky Clint with it."

" Just be sure to keep your promise this time," Stan uttered, ruffling the boy's hair.

" Hey, you're the one who kept the author a secret from me," Dipper pointed at Stan, chuckling. " You broke your promise, too."

" Okay, you got me," Stan shrugged his shoulders then put his hands on his hips. " So, you gonna eat or what? If not, I'm going to give them to Gompers."

" I think I'm going to eat," Dipper responded, rubbing his stomach. " I'm starving."

There was a knock at the door. Dipper walked over and answered it.

" Pacifica," Dipper raised an eyebrow.

" Hey, I came over to check on you," Pacifica uttered then looked him over. " How are you doing?"

" Better," Dipper stated then widened his eyes, pointing a finger at her. " I thought you were grounded."

" I was, but I bribed the staff to sneak me out of the mansion last night," Pacifica scoffed. " You know, I had the weirdest dream. I was in the hospital about half way into the school year then I had to wear these really ugly uniforms and then I found myself back in lock down at home during the summer. What was up with that?"

" Yeah, long story behind that," Dipper rolled his eyes then explained.

" That explains a lot," Pacifica responded, raising her eyebrows.

" You want some Stancakes," Dipper asked, stepping off to the side. " We were just sitting down to breakfast."

" After what I went through in that one timeline, anything sounds good," Pacifica retorted, sighing.

Dipper smiled then frowned. Soos' truck pulled up and parked in front of the shack. The man-child opened the driver's door. His eyes widened.

" Pacifica, get inside, now," Dipper grunted as he latched onto Pacifica's wrist, pulling her inside the shack and closing the door behind them.

" Why," Pacifica shrugged. " It's just your butler."

" Soos may not be the Soos we are used to seeing," Dipper uttered, gesturing toward the door. " I still have an addiction to cigarettes. He may still be an aggressive alcoholic."

Soos climbed out of his truck. Wendy, who was with him, followed suit. They approached the front door of the shack. Wendy knocked on the door.

" You think he will forgive me," Soos turned to the redhead. " I was kinda mean to the little guy. He probably hates my guts."

" I'm sure he will," Wendy patted Soos on the back. " You guys are Pterodactyl Bros."

" Maybe," Soos sighed as he looked down at his feet then looked up when the door opened.

" Dipper doesn't want to speak to you right now," Stan stood in the doorway, folding his arms. " Sorry, Soos."

" What," Wendy screeched, eyes bulging. " May I come in?"

" You may both come in," Stan stepped aside, letting them into the shack. " There are Stancakes on the dinner table. Help yourselves."

" Thanks, Mr. Pines," Soos chimed.

" Don't mention it," Stan uttered as he closed the door behind them. " Seriously, don't."

" So, where is Dipper," Wendy questioned, glancing around.

" Hiding," Stan retorted then glared at the handyman. " Soos, what did you do?"

" Well, you died in one of the timelines, I turned to alcohol, and said some things I regret to Dipper," Soos twiddled his fingers. " I called him a brat, yelled at him, and told him I no longer wanted to be his friend and stuff."

" Whoa," Stan widened his eyes. " Soos, I am disgusted with you."

" I am disgusted with me, too," Soos murmured, rubbing his shoulder. " If you see him, tell him I am really sorry for all of the horrible things I said. If anything, I don't deserve to be his friend, not after the way I treated him."

" Will do," Stan uttered as Wendy went up to the attic.

Soos nodded his head then went into the kitchen. Wendy approached the door of Dipper's bedroom and jiggled the doorknob. It was locked. She pulled out a bobby pin and unlocked the door, letting herself in. Once she entered the room, she looked around. The room was empty, or so she thought. Suddenly, there was a sneeze coming from nearby. Wendy opened the closet door.

" Ah-ha," Wendy hollered as she pointed at Dipper and Pacifica. " There you are."

" I don't want to talk to Soos, so don't try and make me," Dipper snapped, folding his arms.

" Dipper, Soos is sober now," Wendy uttered. " People say the stupidest things while drunk and, sometimes, they don't mean it."

Dipper raised his eyebrows, looked at his feet then glared back up at Wendy. Wendy kneeled down to his height, placing a hand on his shoulder. He turned away, glaring at the floor.

" Soos is really sorry, Dipper," Wendy soothed. " He's beating himself up over it as we speak. Please, go down there and talk to him. I promise, he won't hurt you anymore. Please."

" No," Dipper mumbled.

Wendy gasped then glanced over at Pacifica. Pacifica shrugged then walked out of the closet, heading back downstairs.

" Come on," Wendy urged. " For me?"

Dipper turned his head, so he could see her out of the corner of his eye. Wendy gave him puppy dog eyes and a pout. Dipper rolled his eyes, groaned, and shook his head, sighing. He turned back around.

" Fine," Dipper headed downstairs, earning a smirk from the redhead.

" Works every time," Wendy snickered then followed.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Soos was stuffing his face with Stancakes when Dipper entered the kitchen. The handyman looked up and widened his eyes. Dipper smiled at him, giving him a small wave. He sat down next to him. Soos looked away, his cheeks full, sweating.

" You, uh, gonna eat that," Dipper asked as he pointed at a plate, which only had a few Stancakes left on it.

Soos shook his head then swallowed. Dipper put a couple on his plate and began eating. He took a deep breath.

" If you're wondering, Wendy made me come down here to talk to you," Dipper uttered. " I don't want to, not after what you said to me."

" I am really, really sorry, Dude," Soos responded, looking over at the remaining twin. " I don't know what came over me. I shouldn't have talked to you like that. You're my best friend and I seriously let you down. Can you ever forgive me?"

" I don't know, Soos," Dipper sighed, keeping his gaze on his plate. " I have been through too much drama to forgive you, right now."

" Oh," Soos whispered, glancing down at the table, forlornly. " I understand. Pass the syrup, please."

" All yours, Man," Dipper handed the bottle of syrup over to Soos then chuckled, smirking. " If Mabel were here, she'd be drinking it straight from the bottle right about now."

" That's true," Soos laughed as he poured the syrup. " So, how's Waddles been without her?"

" I have no idea," Dipper answered as he looked over at him, groaning. " The last I saw him, he ran off into the forest somewhere. Thought about giving him to Gideon to keep him from going insane, but I think he might be dead."

" Maybe Stan ate him," Soos set the bottle down on the table and began eating again.

" That wouldn't surprise me," Dipper grunted, talking with his mouth full. " Though, after losing Mabel, I doubt it."

" Eh, I still think he'd eat him," Soos shrugged then tapped his chin with the fork. " Unless, he's afraid Mabel will come back as a poltergeist."

The two started chuckling. Suddenly, Dipper started choking, turning blue. Soos grabbed Dipper and performed the Heimlich Maneuver on him until he coughed up the food in his throat. Dipper breathed deeply, eyes widened. The color returned to his face.

" I saw my whole life flash before my eyes," Dipper uttered, clutching his chest. " I also think I caught a glimpse of heaven. Thanks, Soos."

" No problem," Soos chimed, grinning. " You may not view me as a friend anymore, but I still view you as one. Pterodactyl Bros til the end, Dude."

Meanwhile, in the forest, Waddles was wondering around, searching for Mabel. He heard a rustle in the bushes and walked toward it, sniffing. Suddenly, something jumped out at him. The pig squealed and headed back toward the shack. He ran as fast as he could. Pacifica and Wendy were sitting on top of the roof, talking. They turned their heads toward the pig's squealing. Soos and Dipper turned their heads, too.

" Waddles," Dipper raised an eyebrow and ran out of the kitchen.

Ford and Stan ran toward the front door. Dipper and Soos followed. Stan opened the door, letting Waddles inside. He ran upstairs. After that, a blur with a beard and a scarecrow's hat barged into the house.

" Well, that solves the mystery of where Waddles disappeared, too," Ford stated, gazing toward the attic stairs.

" I better call Gideon," Dipper walked back into the kitchen.

" Don't worry, Waddles," Soos shouted as he sprinted toward the attic. " I will save you from that prospector guy."

" Get your own food," McGucket screamed.

" Let go of him," Soos hollered. " He's part of the family."

" I said he's mine," McGucket shouted. " Finders keepers."

" Save yourself, Waddles," Soos yelled.

Soon, there was a loud crash and the two came tumbling downstairs. Waddles stood at the top of the steps, watching them. He oinked.

" Yeah, Gideon," Dipper spoke into the phone, covering one of his ears. " How would you like Mabel's pig? His name is Waddles and could use a loving home. My Grunkle Stan will eat him, Ford is not very good with pets, and I can't take him back home with me…You'll take him? Great. Come over, whenever."

He hung up the phone and turned around just as Pacifica entered the kitchen.

" Your butler and that crazy guy are fighting over some pig," Pacifica pointed down the hallway, rolling her eyes.

In the living room, Soos and McGucket were wrestling and playing Tug O' War. Stan and Ford stood in the hallway, watching. Dipper, Wendy, and Pacifica joined them.

" You leave him alone," Soos shouted as he tugged on one end of Waddles.

" He belongs in my stomach," McGucket yelled as he tugged on the other end, knocking something over and causing it to shatter in the process.

" My one of a kind vase," Ford hollered, tugging on his hair. " My mom gave that to me as a house warming gift and now it's ruined."

" Alright," Stan bellowed as he stomped toward the front entrance, pointing, glaring. " That's it. Everybody, except me, my brother, Dipper, Pacifica, Wendy, Soos, and Waddles, get out. I repeat. Get the heck out of here. I will not hesitate to use the brass knuckles."

Soon, McGucket ran outside and into the woods. Stan slammed the door shut, growling. He turned around and observed the area, putting his hands on his hips. The stairs leading up to the attic were mostly busted, one of the guardrails was broken, the doorway to the living room was widened, the recliner was turned over, the tv was smashed, the vase was shattered on the carpet, the lamp was saved by the recliner, and there was a hole in the floor. He sighed and approached the group.

" Okay, I need somebody to clean this up," Stan uttered then began pointing his finger. " Dipper, Wendy, and Soos."

They all groaned, except for Soos. He cheered. Next, they began fixing and cleaning. Stan shooed Waddles out of the room, so they could work. The pig went back upstairs. Pacifica watched him. She glanced over at the group, looked back up the stairs, and followed him. Ford kneeled in front of the vase, picking up the pieces, sighing. Stan placed a hand on his shoulder, smirking.

" For the record, I'm pretty sure Mom got that for five cents at some yard sale," Stan snickered, shrugging. " It's probably fake."

" I guess you're right," Ford chuckled then read the piece with the label stuck to it, widening his eyes. " Bargain Bill's? I'm glad Fiddleford shattered that."

Meanwhile, up in the attic, Waddles jumped onto Mabel's bed and fell asleep. Pacifica scanned the room until her eyes landed on the desk between the beds. She walked over to it. There were books and magazines all over it. She read the titles and some pages until she came across Mabel's scrapbook. The blonde picked it up and brushed her hand across it. There was no dust on it, unlike the others. She cracked it open and started skimming through the pages. The girl ran across a picture with her and the twins at her 13th birthday party. They were wearing the same outfits they wore to the Northwest Fest.

" Don't touch that," Dipper stated in a stern tone as he entered the room, causing the blonde to jump. " That is one of the few things I have to remember Mabel by."

" And her sweatshirts aren't enough," Pacifica turned around as she set the scrapbook down then gestured toward, what used to be, Mabel's side of the room. " What about her headbands or her stuffed animals?"

" None of those have Mabel's pictures on them," Dipper retorted as he approached her.

The boy picked up the scrapbook and walked over to his side of the room. He stuffed it under his pillow then walked over to Waddles, sitting next to him. Waddles woke up and jumped into his lap. Dipper began petting him. Pacifica glanced over at Dipper's bed then back at Dipper himself. She sat next to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

" We can add pictures to them," Pacifica uttered, smiling. " I can't tell you how many times I have done this to my stuffed animals, so my parents wouldn't throw them away."

" No thanks," Dipper responded, shaking his head. " It's not the same."

" Dipper, Gideon is here," Stan shouted from downstairs. " For some dumb reason he wants your sister's pig."

" Send him up," Dipper hollered back.

Gideon walked upstairs then widened his eyes, blinking. He looked around the bedroom then grimaced.

" You sleep up here," Gideon questioned, raising an eyebrow.

" Yep," Dipper nodded then glanced down at Waddles, grinning. " You ready to go to your new home, Waddles?"

Waddles peeked open one eye then closed it. Gideon slowly approached him then began petting Waddles on top of the head.

" I promise I won't hurt you like last time," Gideon uttered, softly. " This is a whole new me. I promised Mabel I would take good care of you and that's final."

Waddles opened his eyes then jumped into Gideon's arms, licking him on the cheek. Gideon giggled, holding him up.

" Thanks, Dipper," Gideon chimed, tearing up. " This means a lot to me."

" You're welcome," Dipper responded. "Oh, you will also need his stuff."

Dipper walked into the closet. He came back and gave Gideon Waddle's belongings. Gideon put Waddles down and put the collar and leash on him.

" So, you think Bill and Amelia will come back," Gideon questioned, petting Waddles, worried.

" I hope not," Dipper stated, shaking his head. " Just in case, I will be working in the basement with my Great Uncle Ford for the rest of the summer and every summer after that. We plan to come up with more ways to protect the universe."

" I still can't believe you're related to the author and Stanford never dropped a word of it," Gideon scoffed then put a hand over his mouth, giggling. " Oops. I mean, Stanley."

" He did it to protect me, Mabel and the rest of the family," Dipper retorted and rolled his eyes, shrugging. " Trust me. Nobody else knew but him for the past thirty years. He is really good at keeping secrets."

" Wow," Gideon widened his eyes then grinned. " Well, I best be going now. See ya'll around."

He walked out of the bedroom with his new pet.

" Later, Gideon," Dipper waved, shouting. " Let us know if you have any problems with Waddles."

" Will do," Gideon chimed as the front door shut.

Meanwhile, in the Nightmare Realm, Bill and Amelia's kids were sitting on the couch, watching tv. The blue triangle was flipping through the stations, while the pink triangle was leaning on her fist.

" So, now that Mom and Dad are gone, should we continue the family business," the boy triangle asked.

" Nah," the female shook from side to side, sighing. " I say forget it. It's not worth it."

" Does that mean, we're free," he asked, glancing at her, raising an eyebrow.

" Yes, we're free," she retorted, smirking.

" Whoo hoo," they cheered as they threw their arms up in the air.

Thirty years later, in the basement of the shack, Dipper was writing in a journal with the number ten on the cover. The first page of the journal read," June 18th, 2042. It has been thirty years since my first summer in Gravity Falls. Thirty years since the changes. Thirty years since I lost my twin sister, along with her soul (I tried contacting her with one of Ford's inventions, but her soul could not be located. I think Bill eliminated her entire existence.), to those dream demons I like to call monsters. Well, I have devised a way to completely obliterate the Nightmare Realm and all who inhabit it. There will be no survivors, I assure you. The bridge between our world and theirs will be severed, permanently. My Great Uncle Ford (The original author of these journals, who has now been dead for ten years.) and I have a theory that Bill and Amelia might come back. We have tried many ways to secure our universe and keep it out of their flaming little hands, but none were fool-proof, until now."

Dipper closed the journal then looked through the glass at the rebuilt portal. In front of it, there were a bunch of machines strapped together with a timer on top. It was a universal bomb, designed specifically for the Nightmare Realm. Dipper gave a sharp nod then flipped the switch, turning the portal on. Next, the portal sucked in the bomb. Suddenly, there was an explosion inside the portal. Dipper glanced down at the scanner. The Nightmare Realm went from a blip on the radar to non-existent.

" Finally, it's over," Dipper mumbled then picked up a framed picture from his desk. " We did it. The universe is safe now."

The picture was of the Pines family, back when Stan, Ford, and Mabel were still alive. He set the picture back down and went upstairs, turning off the lights along the way.

The End!


End file.
